Amber Eyes
by AnalystProductions
Summary: All treasure has a curse; it’s a fact. Why should those who protect treasure be punished? Surely the treasure should be punished, for all the anguish it causes? SEQUEL to Love in the Strangest Places- ON TEMPORARY HIATUS.
1. The return of the Island

I thought since I haven't updated MayDrew thing and you've all be so patiently waiting...I owed you all!

FINALLY. Here it is.

_The Amber eyes, Harry Voyager, the Prophecy, the Island...so many things left unanswered. _

_Are about to be answered._

**AMBER EYES- The Island Returns**

(:

Here's some Information you'll need to know about Amber Eyes before we start!

- Amber Eyes is set **nineteen months after** their previous adventure. Therefore as I'm sure you'd be aware, things have changed for them. It hasn't been all happy because that's not realistic xD. Here is a short profile about what has happened to the characters over the two years, though you'll find all this out later:

Dr. Jack Toll: 21 - He worked with Professor Roland for a year to develop his skills. Now he is an independent Professor with his own lab and two assistants Holly and Frankie. He recevied the high qualification of "Doctor" within first year of work for Marine Archeology. He is a renowned professor in the making.

Drew Andrews: 21 - Drew continued entering contests with May for six months before progressing into a multi-million contest bussiness. He owns that bussiness, and is now a contest judge, and designer of the new contest arena. His fame has grown excessively along with his ego. He has lost contact with all three of his companions, isolating himself in his fame and fortunes

May Maple: 20 (close to 21) - May has travelled with Drew for a six months. When he went his own way, she stayed with Roland and Jack for a while. Now, she travels with her life-long friend Brendon Birch across regions, and helps out at her father's gym.

Professor John Roland: 24 - Roland trained Jack Toll for a year under his lab. He is still an Independent Professor, married to Jasmine with two children called Andrew and Sofia.

Frankie Topaz: 20 - Data processor, works for Dr. Toll.

Holly O'Plethia: 17- Feildwork biologist, works for Dr. Toll.

That's all you need to know now (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Poke'mon.

Claimer: I DO own Jack Toll, Professor John Roland, Frankie Topaz and Holly O'Plethia.

I hope you enjoy the release of **AMBER EYES- The Island Returns...**

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**xXxXx A M B E R - E Y E S xXxXx**

Sequel to Love in the Strangest Places

**AnalystProductions 2008**

_Let the adventure begin..._

**C1- The return of the Island**

By the window of a rather enigmatic building sat a man. The scar on his left temple indicated he had been caught in a brutal collision. His brittle hair drooped over his face, hiding what was concealed beneath. Observers walking by would not notice his presence due to the fact they had much better things to do than people watch in the early morning. However, the odd child would gaze up and catch his haunting eyes. And when they did so, he would be compelled to wipe their memory of ever seeing him. So in theory, no-one ever saw him.

The figure had been dwelling on the paper in his hands for hours now. Each time he read it, it sounded more brilliant, and dangerously powerful than before. The text inscribed on the paper gave him dark humour. After all this time, it was ready. The truth was going to come out. Eyes twinkling, he chuckled, folding the paper into his pocket. The black suit he wore failed to complement his sallow skin.

There were three seats behind him. In one, a jade-haired male sat his yellow eyes sparkled brilliant in the light. In the second seat, a dark-haired female was sniggering, the sunlight turned grey when it hit her iris. The third seat held a tanned man in place, his red eyes rimed with anticipation. The figure by the window spun on his chair and leapt up. With defined and respected authority, he paced toward the three others. He stoked his chin as a gesture of thought before moving his lips slowly in rhythm with his tongue.

"We're going to run the first move."

His ominous voice sent shivers up their spines. None of them spoke despite the objection bottling within. The jade-haired male studied the floor, swallowing-hard. It was obvious by his hunched shoulders he knew the severity of these words. The female was much more composed, an amused glimmer in her eyes, as if she had been the one to announce the command. However, the tanned man fidgeting irritably in his seat was unable to restrain his opposition. He spoke in a smooth sugary voice, with an added tinge of that similar to sour coffee.

"The first move will cause global d-"

The figure standing up flashed his eyes threateningly over toward the tanned man.

"-How _dare_ you question my judgement. I'm running the first move." The man roared possessively.

All three of them couldn't help but observe how he had gone from "we" to "I" so suddenly. It made them shiver with betrayal and jealously. Then flicking a bit of paper off his desk into the bin the leader grinned and continued with a parodist tone. By now, the three others were steaming with tension.

"After the first move,"

He paused and decided to go back to "we", disillusioning the loyal figures. It was merely to ease the tension and to ensure that there would be no slip-ups.

"We'll progress onto the second move. And _after _that-"

There was a deathly silence, in which the tanned male shuddered.

"-The four treasures will pay their price for what they've done. They'll receive their very own…sacrifice. Not even God can help them."

His voice withered away, morphing into an eccentric, prolonged laugh. The woman joined in as did the jade-haired man. But the tanned male sat there awkwardly, gazing out the window, watching people look through him- as if he wasn't even there.

**o0o0o0o0o0o**

All treasure has a curse; it's a fact. Treasure can not be traded freely without a sacrifice. Treasure can not hide for it will always be found. Treasure can not be taken, for those who take shall be punished. Things can not be restored without dismissing the problem. Things can not get better before they get worse. To save one thing, another must die. Why should those who protect treasure be punished? Surely the treasure should be punished, for all the anguish it causes?

The question is one not to ponder on for such a beautiful, marvellous day. It was a perfect day; a perfect day for diving. He could not have wished for a better day to do fieldwork in the ocean. The crystal clear ocean was calm; its waves swelling at a composed pace. The sky was painted sapphire, fragments of thin cloud hung like still pictures on the sapphire wall. Scoffing, the male grinned. The forecast had predicted storms and rain. However, the day looked promising. He watched the small cirrus clouds whisk across the azure sky. It was clear by the way his teal eyes shone, he was excited.

The male prayed that what he was looking for was going to be there, the strenuous research he had done so far pointed to this area. He wasn't expecting himself to be down for more than half an hour, but it was a precaution; he usually ended up wandering off to explore the depths of the sea and was forced up because it was "too dangerous". Chuckling at that thought, he whisked a stand of marooned hair from his vivid teal eyes. Taking risks was a part of discovery; no-one else seemed to be as daring as he was.

The Amber Hollow, otherwise known as the "Amber Eyes" had been haunting him. Ever since he had read a book by Professor Elm about the myths of the ocean, he was spellbound by this anomaly. A tunnel stretching through the earth's lower crust, made entirely of amber stone and granite; Geologists had lost interest in the myth for it was extremely unlikely for such an anomaly to occur. But he knew it had to exist. And then it had clicked. An unknown aspiration inside him ruptured; a pristine passion that pried his might constantly. An ember of enthusiasm pushed him to start the quest to find one of most questioned myths in the world.

Descriptive texts about the Amber Hollow never seemed to quite fit his own theory of what it looked like; each night he slept, he found there was a new piece of it, a new discovery. In his mind, the endless tunnel of orange stone glistened miraculously. There were areas where the stone was more concentrated, there were gaps in the roof of the tunnel, creating the effect of walking under several bridges. When the sunlight refracted against its surface, it would sway against the stone, generating invigorating, hypnotic patterns. The patterns would move rhythmically with the oceanic current over the stone.

Venturing further through the Amber Hollow, it would spiral downwards like an elaborate staircase, glistening into the ocean trench below. The stone would be coiled; a few moss-like saplings would be clinging to the stone the deeper he dove and then bursting with exuberant marine flowers of crimson and lime. Sometimes a flock of Remoraid would swim past, their scaly blue skin morphing into an explicit orange in the tunnel. He would stop, and watch the Remoraid's colour change as it progressed under the bridges of amber; from blue to orange, blue to orange, the transition breathtakingly seamless.

This was all from his imagination's eye of course, in reality, it was likely that the Amber Hollow was no-where near as stunning as he dreamt. In fact, it may not even be there. A world full of such dull realism with no variation, where things either did or didn't exist, and where things were impossible or not possible, and where things were right or wrong, bored him. It was enough to make him want to find an adventure, enough to make him want to discover things to dismiss the tedious reality.

Yet he could not deny those pleasant dreams often revolutionized themselves into nightmares. These nightmares were not the kind that would make you scream out in fear. They were the kind that would hit you so quick you couldn't scream and they were so impressively real you could not wake up, for you believed you were awake. All of the nightmares were connected to the Amber Hollow, having a link by the words. All of his nightmares were to do with- Amber Eyes.

Every time, he would reach the end of the Amber Hollow, fall into darkness. A figure would appear, and he would have sparkling amber eyes, eyes so rich in their buoyant shade of orange it was unnerving. The amber eyes looked like a sea of volcanic magma, churning slowly and every now and then there would be a stir in the magma, and the eyes would emit a piecing jolt of coercion. The Amber-eyed man would talk to him; he would talk to him in a subterranean tone so enigmatic he was lulled deeper into this nightmare.

The word Amber in general always had a much more sinister meaning to him now. Perhaps that was why he was so keen to investigate this particular myth as opposed to the others. The Amber-eyed man irked his mind constantly, in dreams and also not in dreams. He would gaze into a person's eyes and turn away suddenly; as if afraid their eyes would imitate that amber shade. Brushing the thought off quickly, he swallowed-hard. Then, he tuned into his optimistic thoughts and grinned.

_'Wait till Roland gets a load of this.'_

He thought, revealing a dazzling expression of amusement.

It had been two years since Jack and Roland's rather interesting meeting. They had been stranded on the Island, soaked up with deadly challenges. Jack, Drew and May collaborated together, and then they had all been separated devastatingly again, by the genetically mutated Poke'mon. Shuddering at that thought, Jack wiped his eyes, harsh memories stabbing him cruelly. The first thing Jack had said to the renowned professor was: "who the bloody hell are you?" It was hardly the greatest first impression he had ever made.

The handsome male twisted his lips into a broad grin, laughing. He still remembered how sheepish he had felt when he had addressed the greatest Professor in the world so rudely. He had come along way since then, from an emotionally unbalanced teenager, to a mature adult; well partially mature, there were definite mischievous elements still there. His teal eyes absorbed the sun as it shoved past a cirrus cloud, enlightening the complexion of the water below.

Together, the four of them had faced super genetic beasts that were not meant to be. They had been put to a test of survival. They had saved the creatures from their despair. The four of them had come off the Island as close as family. However, two years later, the family had divided into factions. The most concerning case of the four was Drew Andrews. He had grown in fame by building his very own contest arena; he had grown in wealth and arrogance also. He spoke little to Jack, and had split up with May seven months ago for reasons no-one really understood. Jack decided it was down to sheer egoism, May thought it was because she wasn't "good enough" which normally resulted in Jack lecturing her about how that was not true. He sighed, May had received most of the pain, and she was completely crushed. What angered Jack was Drew acted completely blasé about the whole thing.

Jack groaned and thought harder on that subject. Just two moths ago Drew had found himself a model girlfriend that boosted his popularity further. It sickened Jack, Drew was becoming an airhead, and the sad thing was he didn't want to listen to Jack or May anymore; neither of them had much significance in his life. It was the cold, hard truth- both of them were struggling to cope with the reality of him falling into the world of fame. However, Jack knew despite how the emerald-eyed male had hid it, Drew was extremely fond of Roland.

Throwing the emerald-eyed male from his mind, Jack thought about his own achievements. Jack had come a long way; he wasn't one to boast about it, like Drew did nowadays, but he knew he was pretty damn good at what he did. With only one full year of experience with Professor Roland, Jack was already eager to start his own laboratory, receiving the title Dr for his exceptional work. He and Roland had done worked on some amazing projects since the incident two years ago, but he was going to do even more amazing things on his own quest of discovery.

He was going to find the Amber Hollow, and he was going to beat Roland to it. In fact, he was already in the middle of the ocean, at the presumed location of the cavern. He brushed a hand through his dark-magenta hair, adjusting the equipment around him. The navy wetsuit complemented his teal eyes flawlessly. The neoprene gloves on his hands comfortably hugged his palm. He gazed over at an adolescent who was struggling to figure out how to component her equipment.

"Erm, how does it work again?" A girl timidly asked.

Holly had always been quite clumsy, ever since Jack had recruited her last week; the flippers on her feet were spouting outwards giving her the appearance of a nervous duck. Her fingers tapped each device around her body to ensure that she had absolutely everything that was necessary. It wasn't that she didn't trust ; it was just that this was her first time diving and she was terrified. Her forest eyes clouded over with anticipation.

"The regulator attaches to the air tank on your back," Jack chuckled, walking over to her to help fix her messy attempt. Blushing, Holly fizzled up at his gentle touch.

"So it converts high-pressure air to intermediate pressure air?" She asked slightly dazed by the heart-throb.

Jack raised his eyebrows impressed and nodded. She appeared to have been listening to his long lecture after all. Skimming a hand through his hair, he held the flexible nozzle-like piece attached to a mask in his hand from over her right shoulder. Tightening the equipment gently he spoke.

"Right, in a second you can turn on the tank valve to get the air going." He explained,

Nodding, Holly held the oxygen mask in her hands nervously; she blushed when Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and leant his face close to hers. A dazzling smile escaped his lips; he lifted his recruits chin proudly and nodded in approval. Holly felt faint, dazed by his aura.

"I think you're ready squirt, I'm glad you left Oak's team to join my lab." He said, still rather confused as to why Gary had given up such a brilliant girl.

"I think the Toll team's _much _more fun." She admitted with a giggle, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes apprehensively. Jack saw through her laughter and identified her fear. There was a silence where he evaluated the level of her fear. When he realised how scared she was, he spoke.

"Holly, you've been training for this, you know what to do. There's nothing to be afraid of." He muttered softly, smiling. Nodding, Holly smiled back.

"Are we ready to go then Dr Toll?" she asked cautiously, trying to hide her blush by slapping the oxygen mask over her lips.

Jack smirked and winked at the girl in an irresistibly handsome manner. His playful attitude seemed to dispel her troubles for a split second. She had never quite managed to find a word to sum up Jack Toll, he really was something. Working with Gary Oak had been strenuous and tiring, but Jack Toll had a presence about him that made working fun. It was probably because he was gorgeous. Turning his back to the ocean, Jack stood on the edge dangling his hand out towards his new recruit. The wind caressed his hair, enhancing the radiating complexion on his godly face. Inhaling the salty sea air, he smiled his heartthrob smile and took the female's hand softly in his. The contact made Holly shudder.

"Just call me Jack, squirt." He teased confidently. His smooth, saccharine voice melted the anxiety away from the new diver Holly, who grinned back, her fingers tingling at the warm touch of his hand.

The auburn-haired diver gazed over at the third figure on the boat. Holly gave her an enthusiastic thumb up; whether that was for the fact she was holding hands with the gorgeous Dr. Jack Toll or whether it was due to it being her first dive was uncertain. Jack rolled her eyes, his teal eyes were hypnotizing, undulating sparks of pride outwards. The third figure watched a captivated Holly blush, she frowned, slightly envious. She had never dived properly with equipment and all that jazz. She had only jumped into the ocean once.

"You think you're _so smooth_ with the ladies Toll." She groaned sarcastically.

Jack's attention averted to a blonde haired woman. As soon as their eyes met, she nervously dragged her eyes away back down to the laptop on her knees. Her wavy hair was loose, streaming down past her shoulders in beautiful locks. A pair of pink chunky glasses framed her glistening hazel eyes. She appeared to be working once more, though part of her consciously was waiting for Jack's response. Titling his head to the right in amusement, Jack chuckled lightly, his eyes childish.

"Hmm Frankie…I think there's lots of evidence for that- last Wednesday perhaps (The blonde typist stopped typing and hunched her shoulders up to her neck in shock. "You DARE and--") when you decided to snog my face off." He said smugly, grinning at the suddenly embarrassed blonde woman. Holly burst into immature, juvenile laughter; Frankie looked sheepish.

The words Frankie was typing on the keypad no longer came with fluency; she gazed up at the male through her pink chunky glasses and shrugged casually. It was obvious that she was slightly embarrassed. However, her embarrassment faded, morphing into rage.

"And to think this stupid boy is a_ Doctor_ in marine archaeology." She mumbled frustrated.

Gaping, Jack glowered but was unable to hold it for long, for his excitement of discovering beneath the ocean took over. Holly was giggling slightly; impressed by the way Frankie was resistant to Jack's charm.

"You're _annoying_." He spat pathetically back; there was a clear friendly tone within his words.

"Isn't she annoying Holly?"

Holly didn't reply; she was too new to the whole atmosphere of diving to find words. Instead she went back to double-checking her equipment mentally. Besides, answering that question would show who she preferred, and that was definitely the gorgeous Jack Toll. Continuing to type, without looking up, Frankie opened the window of complex graphs and data. Raking a hand though her blonde hair, she spoke quickly, unimpressed at his words.

"What wild _goose chase_ have you dragged me out on this time again?" She teased closing the window to read the typed up brief on a word document.

"Oh yeah that's right- the _Amber Hollow_."

Pulling the oxygen mask over his mouth, Jack pouted in displeasure. He was already getting a lot of nonsense from other professors about his expedition. Gary Oak would not shut-up about how ludicrous it was; he had to prove them all wrong. He knew Frankie was joking and really did support this expedition, but her words stung slightly. Jack's teal eyes frosted over with doubt. Maybe there was nothing to find. He couldn't come back not finding something- that would just be awkward. There was a small silence. Frankie continued typing and then sighed. She noted the looked on his face and sensed the hesitation in the air.

"Toll, I back you up on this. I'm sure the new recruit will too (she gestured over to Holly, slightly envious that Jack had warmed to her). We're a good team, and we'll follow you wherever you go- god forbid what hazardous place you want to explore next…"

Her voice trailed off, whilst she found a rather intriguing reading on one of the line graphs. The data confused her. Jack grinned flicking a strand of magenta hair off his eyes. He knew his two assistants were the most loyal in his lab; the other three were slightly apathetic. Confidence swathed his skin, casting the doubt away so it became nothing more than a mere whisper within the air. Jack then laughed through the mask; Holly joined in too, finding all this was somehow calming down her nerves.

Tingles ran up his spine, his teal eyes lit up, a spark of exuberance burnishing behind the glazed excitement. There was new realm of beauty within his mesmerising eyes, one that was yet to be filled of memories of this new expedition. He got like this every single time he dived. It was the exhilaration of discovering new things, the fact that he was unlocking secrets, decoding myths that augmented the miraculous twinkle in his orbs. He was reliving the past, and admiring the present. It was magical, and it was all he wanted to do everyday.

Eyes casting over to Frankie- who looked slightly confused- Jack spoke through his oxygen mask. The words were muffled but both of the females laughed at his hazy words. Tapping away on the laptop, she heard the walkie-talkie by her side buzz; Jack was too far away to make out the words. Holding it up to her mouth, she spoke. Her eyes flickered up to Jack.

"Ha- yeah of _course_ he is!" She said humorously.

The walkie-talkie buzzed loudly once more. Waving it childishly, the blonde grinned and prepared herself for the traditional banter before the dive. Knowing that was his cue, Jack took the walkie-talkie in his hands rolling his eyes with a smug look plastering his face. He now knew who it was; it was a tradition for Professor John Roland to call before Jack's expeditions. The voice on the other end sounded loudly, slightly stifled; Jack lifted his mask off.

"Right, Toll-" Clicking the button at the top, the magenta-haired male interrupted rudely.

"_Doctor _Toll." Jack added quite arrogantly, his grin widening.

Frankie rolled her eyes continuing to study the odd results on the data was showing. Adjusting the pink glasses on her face, she grimaced, leaning toward the screen in interest- this was unusual. Holly noticed her concern and swallowed-hard, it wasn't making her feel any better.

"Yeah, yeah Jack- since when?" The man jeered mockingly, chuckling warmly.

Jack pulled his lips into a small over-exaggerated pout, scowling at the wet floor of the boat. Then, studying the charismatic ocean, he grinned. Pressing the button of the walkie-talkie, he spoke complacently, an irresistibly angelic look plastered over his heavenly face. He caught the worry in Frankie's eyes and narrowed an expression of curiosity to her, she shook a hand tetchily in his direction gesticulating it was nothing.

Obediently, Jack turned away and replied to Roland; the corner of his vision was still fixated on the anxious blonde girl.

"Since the very second I left your laboratory Roland."

Holly simpered at his retort, the man on the other side of the line coughed dramatically. It was obvious he was expecting that kind of conceit to come from the young man. It didn't take long for the concern emanating off Frankie to hit the naïve inexperienced Holly. She began to feel her heart racing, her nerves growing. What if something happened down there? What if she was too slow for Jack?

"Cheeky still I see." The man responded; Jack smirked.

"Today is the day Doctor Jack Toll makes the grand discovery _before _Professor John Roland." He replied competitively, releasing his diving partner's hand to slam their hands back into an overstated high-five. Holly's confidence wavered on the line between fear and quietude.

"I suggest you get a move on Toll, it's drawing close to 1pm, and you won't be making any discoveries at this rate." Frankie called, not bothering to look up, though there was something new and foreign in her eyes.

A few machines could be heard in the background of Roland's laboratory, processing information no doubt, or doing something productive. Jack knew that he never left anything unsolved. But this time, Jack was ahead of the game, and he was going to get it first. The voice on the other side of the line sighed and continued briskly.

"Are you trying to out-do ALL my findings in your first year of independent research cause you know that's just _foolish_." The man's voice was light but slightly worried. It was clear they were slightly unnerved about how reckless Jack Toll was being on his first year of independent research. Jack had always been reckless, but in this field of work, you had to have some sanity.

"What's the matter Roland- worried? Can't the Professor take a little bit of competition from his x-student?" Jack taunted lightly.

The voice spoke back instantly.

"Twenty-seven noble awards, six worldwide discoveries, two anomalous objects classified and one international award- no I'm not so worried Jack. I'll be worried when you catch up with my stats."

Jack's grin fell slightly, he exhaled slowly and laughed. Roland was the best professor in the world; he had been in the field for over six years now though. Jack knew that he was close to following in the footsteps of his inspiration. It was ironic to think two years ago, he had been dreaming of meeting his inspiration, and now, they were close colleagues. The progression that had occurred over the years stunned Jack. To think, he had gone from working for Team Rocket to a renowned professor.

To be truthful, it was the in-between events that had made him who he was today. He tried to forget about those events. He wanted to forget all about that adventure because if no-one else could ever know, then it was pointless. If anyone ever heard the tale, they would laugh, for there was no proof, in fact, in theory of a three-dimensional world- it hadn't even happened. But it had happened, and that was what made it harder to forget. Snapping out of his thoughts, Jack's eyes renounced their vacancy.

"Five noble awards in the space of seven months, oh I _will_ catch up Roland. You know I'm on my way to the top." He said, still drifting in his thoughts.

Roland on the other side of the walkie-talkie could be heard chuckling.

"I taught you well Toll, _too _well." He admitted.

Jack ruffled a hand through his magenta hair, gazing over at Frankie who was gesturing he really had to get going. A woman's voice could be heard from the other side, and two children were calling "Daddy". You could feel Roland's eyes light up by the sound of his happy voice. Jack frowned slowly. He did wonder what it was like to have a family. However, it was incredibly odd to regard Roland as being a father. There were just so many things about him that clashed with that role.

"Kids just got back from nursery, I'm off now." Roland explained picking up the two pretty-faced children in his arms. They burst into adorable laughter on the other side of the walkie-talkie.

"How are the little monsters?" Jack teased hearing the two children shout in joy at the sound of his voice. He heard the youngest one call his name before their father spoke over them.

"They're _definitely_ excited to hear your voice again I'll tell you that." Roland laughed.

During the time he had worked for Roland, he often had spent time with the kids. During the last year, he had seen little of them, due to the tight schedule he was running, in fact, he barely even spoke to anyone anymore, apart from May Maple- she was dropping in quite regularly now. Smiling fondly at the sound of the kids, Jack pressed the button on the walkie-talkie for the last time.

"Catch you later monsters. (The children on the other side of the walkie-talkie giggled.) Roland, I'm _going in_." He threw the walkie-talkie over to Frankie, it landed clumsily on her laptop, startling her. The data she was examining disappeared off the screen, the results appearing to go back to normality.

Her eyes flared with rage.

"Ever heard of _passing _things?" She growled infuriated; the only reason Jack held back is grin was that her hazel eyes were full of a newfound bewildering fascination, almost close to fear.

He awkwardly drew his eyes from Frankie, scratching the back of his head rather puzzled. Something was bothering Frankie. She hadn't been herself to day at all. She was snappy and incredibly rude. Jack cast one last look at an enraged blonde before turning to Holly. He nodded and pulled the mask over his face. He could tell she was growing nervous, and to leave her waiting any longer was not a good idea, especially with Frankie acting rather off. He held his breath dramatically, the detonation of enthusiasm rushed through him. Jack saluted comically to Frankie who was now in an odd touchy mood.

She lifted her vision from the laptop and an inferno smouldered through the air emanating from her eyes.

"Just get out of here Toll before I _push_ you in."

Jack ignored her and turned to the nervous Holly. Teal eyes flashing with excitement, he turned to the auburn girl and squeezed her hand gently. She shuddered in terror, knowing this was it; there was no turning back now. Noticing her fear, Jack smiled softly.

"Holly I'm going to count to three and then we're going in ok?"

He stroked the back of her hand comfortingly, indicating that he would let no harm come to her under the water. Holly shut her eyes for a second, composing herself. Her posture straightened, eyes clamped shut.

"Remind me what to do Dr," she whispered suddenly, pushing the earpiece in further, pulling up the hood of the wetsuit that pushed her hair back. Jack did the same. The small microphone attached to the suit was easy to ignore. He then took the goggles from the side and placed it over them over his eyes. Frankie snorted at his appearance; Jack ignored her. He was growing fed-up of her at the moment.

"Test the purge button which releases a gentle blast of air. Make sure air is flowing before we go in- don't panic, just breathe slowly, or you'll run out of air." He said calmly to Holly.

Nodding, Holly did as instructed moving towards the edge of the boat. Jack noticed some dark grey clouds in the distance, hovering close. The sight of these dark cumulonimbus clouds unnerved him. He frowned; perhaps it was going to rain today. When Holly nodded at Jack, he edged towards the edge of the boat, back turned on the water.

"One."

Holly felt her body shrivelling up, and then she remembered that she had to relax. Opening her eyes slowly, she breathed deeply, the clean air entering her lungs. Suddenly a newfound feeling of excitement was glowing in the depth of her body. What was it going to be like? Would they find anything? What if they did find the amber cavern?

"Two."

Holly became doubtful again. She braced herself for the dive-in. Her heart hammered against her chest. Then she took one deep breath and swallowed-hard. Jack gazed over at the recruit and waited a second until she had calmed down.

"And we're off-"

"It's about time-" Frankie retorted.

"-Oh shut your mouth Frank," Jack chuckled.

Holly focused intensely hard on the dive-in, Jack didn't seem to realise how effortless he was making it look. The two of them plunged into the water, the air supply working effectively. There was a large splash when they fell under the surface of the cool water. Jack's new diver seemed slightly fazed by the elaborate dive he had performed, sending her spinning awkwardly into the water. Holly's eyes were still fastened shut in fear. The water embraced their skin, swallowing them into a new invigorating world. Glancing over at the female who still refused to open her eyes, Jack laughed.

"I think you'll like what you see squirt." He said lugging her further downwards by the hand into the beautiful community of the ocean.

Reluctantly, Holly opened her eyes and gaped. The sunlight shone through the dense water, dancing elegantly through the ocean; there were certain spots where it was more concentrated, creating a blurry spotlight of beauty. Her eyes caught the sparkle of the light wonderfully. There was sandy ground covered in lush vegetation, and vast coral. Anemones clung to the grey rocks spluttered around the floor of the ocean. Their many tails moved gently with the caresses of the water. Holly particularly admired the collection of eelgrass that caught the sunlight, glistening magnificently. The segment of eelgrass reminded her of a green field on land.

"It's…amazing." Holly managed to say, twirling around in the water, releasing her hand so she could dive into the eelgrass and feel the rush of water surrounding her body.

"Not _too_ close," he warned, but she wasn't listening.

Jack followed, worries leaving him, his eyes burnishing brightly. This was why he loved the water, it took his breath away every time, never failing to stun. He squinted when he saw a peculiar red moving object in the eelgrass. It took a few seconds for him to identify what it was, and Holly was swimming far too close. Gasping, he dragged Holly upwards by the waist as a Krabby aggressively snapped at the water with a pincer. Grinning at the shocked female, Jack watched her pull a face at the overly protective Krabby; it glowered back.

"Don't antagonise them; remember we're on _their _territory." Jack said, though he couldn't help but laugh at the scowl on her face.

"Dr Toll _already _has put his recruit in danger." Frankie said from above the water through her microphone, sneering.

Jack rolled his eyes, and pretended he hadn't heard the girl who was now starting to get on his nerves. Sapphire-shelled Poke'mon were on the rocks approaching. They guarded their pearls protectively. Jack danced between two Remoraid; both docile-natured, brushing past him gently. Some of these Poke'mon Holly had never seen before, it was a whole new world- miraculous. Gazing down in astonishment at the sapphire-shelled creatures, she pointed.

"What are they?" She asked.

Before he could reply, Frankie stole his words.

"They're Clamperls."

A flock of Finneon swam past them frantically, not bothering to avoid the two of them. Holly examined their appearance in awe. They were incredibly cute, shaped like a rugby ball with a pair of butterfly-like fins on it's behind. There was a purple stripe running horizontally down its body, dividing its top navy colour and the light-blue bottom half. The concerning thing was the way their purple eyes were glistening in fear. Jack pulled Holly out the way when they began to swarm past faster. Confusion swathed over him. A second flock of Finneon followed close behind.

"Frankie, any anomalies ahead? Something's got the Finneon going."

A few seconds later, a deep sound vibrated through the ocean; Holly clung to Jack in fear, trembling slightly. The water began to shake. A congregation of Goldeen swam in the same direction of the Finneon; a rather large elegant Mantine, swept over their heads, following. Jack brushed off Holly's hand clasped around his arm and glided forwards in the direction the Poke'mon were coming from. The deep vibrating sound emerged again. Swallowing-hard, Holly remained motionless, refusing to follow the daring Dr.

"Dr- c-come back." She pleaded fearfully.

Frankie's overpowering, demanding voice sounded through both of their ears, loudly.

"Toll it appears there's a minor tectonic shift between the Sinnoh plate and the Demher plate. It's too hazardous for you to go deeper; the ocean trench you want to enter might cave in on you."

Jack ridiculed her words in his mind and took the water torch from his belt. He'd had enough of her moaning in his ear all day. He turned it on, and plunged down into the darker ocean ahead. Holly was too scared to be alone and drastically followed like a naïve sheep. Minor tectonic activity was not going to collapse the whole trench on top of them; he wasn't even going to down that far today. Frankie was just over-exaggerating as usual. He had explained earlier this morning he was just familiarising himself with the location in preparation for tomorrow. Clearly, she hadn't been listening to him. He smirked- maybe she'd been too busy _ogling_.

"_Don't_ push it Jack, you're going into the hazard zone." Frankie cautioned; this had to be the first time she had used his first name, and this made her sound even more desperately afraid.

The sunlight was growing scarce the deeper they went, another tremor shook the water. Vegetation was limited here, and the ocean seemed terrifying, deadly; empty. A spark of green light came from the bottom of the ocean, lighting up the sea bed deep below in neon lights. Jack pointed downwards with the torch, the neon fish scuttled out of the light. Holly laughed in amusement, dismissing her worries for a second. She didn't even know there were Poke'mon that could do that.

"Lumineon, its fins flash. They live at the bottom of deep waters." He explained fascinated by the exploration into the bottomless water. It was then Holly realised how radically deep the water had become.

"I don't like this." She admitted instantly.

"Neither do I, get your arse back up here Toll." Frankie insisted petulantly from the boat above the water. Jack could hear the severity within her voice. He sighed.

"We're not at terminal pressure _yet._" He said continuing to advance into the darkness.

"And you're not even going to _think_ about taking Holly down there- it's her first dive. She's not ready for this yet. Diving into a trench whilst tectonic shifts are occurring right beneath you is damn right _foolish_ ." Frankie shouted angrily, Jack winced at the harshness of her voice.

She was right. Holly looked petrified. She wasn't ready for this kind of stuff yet. But then no-one should be diving into an ocean trench like this with the earth's crust beneath them stirring. No matter how brave Jack Toll was, he knew it wasn't a matter of being brave. It was a matter of being wise. He pictured the Amber Hollow in his mind and wrestled with the thought of continuing hard.

"Frank just-"

"-_Don't _call me that-" She snapped.

Clenching his fists in exasperation, Jack rolled his eyes. Sometimes it was like he worked for her, rather than the truism that she worked for him. She was so bossy.

"One-more-minute." He persisted through gritted teeth, losing patience.

The water shook once more, the deep roar much closer. Eyes lighting up, Jack shone the torch ahead catching a large blue fin before it disappeared. Curiosity engrossed him, a new fascination plastering over his face.

"_Whatwasthat_?" Holly shrieked.

"Toll, that's enough." Frankie said sternly. She too had obviously received some radar scans about the blue fin that had suddenly appeared.

Jack exhaled slowly, disappointment embellishing his eyes; they would have to continue later; it was unsafe. He wanted to pursue, not only to find the Amber Cavern, but to follow that creature that had appeared. The adult logic flew back into his mind, he was responsible for his young recruit, and he had to be sensible. It was a shame however; her first dive couldn't be longer. Reluctantly turning his back on the darkness, he hauled Holly up into the light, pleasant ocean they had both admired. The auburn-haired girl watched a desolate Horsea whirl around her. It nuzzled into her for a split second, hovering in front of her face. Holly laughed, forgetting the tense aura about the isolated ocean.

Jack turned his head toward her and smiled softly. The seahorse creature danced around Holly once more before darting off to the coral where an adorable Corsola began to play hide and seek with it. Giggling, the adolescent caught the teal-eyed male's eyes and smiled.

"It seems they're oblivious to the tectonic activity." He chuckled, watching the pair scurry about the vegetation unpretentiously.

"They're not the _only ones_." Frankie sardonically hissed back from above.

Frowning, Jack narrowed his eyes and began to swim up to the surface, Holly following.

"Alright stress-head; we're surfacing."

Annoyance splashed over his face as they plummeted into the air, Jack felt the water drip down his face, the cold wind biting his face. He had been waiting so long for that moment, to discover what was really down there. Now he would have to wait even longer, until this unusual tectonic activity had stopped. Holly breathed the air, treading the water. The white boat was floating two yards away, a blonde woman sitting expectantly on the seat. There was something in her eyes again that unnerved Jack; he knew that when they were down there she had been desperate to get them out. The reasons for that he was unsure of.

Frankie abandoned her laptop, hauling Holly up onto the boat. Discarding the oxygen mask and goggles, Holly pulled her wetsuit hood down, her partially wet hair streaming down. She panted for breath, trying to get used to the feeling of have nothing compressed around her, and getting back into the habit of breathing the new air. From where Jack was wading the water, he could see the rather interesting line graph on Frankie's laptop, which sent his eyes flickering with interest. Throwing the foggy goggles off his eyes, and the breathing mask, he tugged the hood of the wetsuit off, running a hand though his hair.

About to lift himself up onto the boat, for Frankie indicated she was not going to help him, Jack twisted his head behind him, to gaze in the direction of the tremors.

He wished he hadn't.

His body froze, his eyes glazed over with horror. He continued to stare ahead, swallowing-hard. What he was seeing haunted him. Shivering, his blood ran cold; his skin grew Goosebumps on cue. Holly observed his fear and leant over the side of the boat holding a hand out generously. He didn't take it. He didn't even look at her. Pulling a contort, she spoke.

"Dr Toll?" She asked.

There it was. There it stood as if it had been there since the beginning of time. He had travelled this section of the ocean almost every week, and never had it returned. It had always been an empty part of water, lifeless on the surface. Frankie walked over, now anxious about their Professor's behaviour. She adjusted her glasses and gazed ahead to see what had entranced him in the blanket of dread.

"What's wrong?" She queered in perplexity.

Keeping his eyes locked on the target ahead, he spoke, voice trembling.

"That…" He paused staggering for breath.

"That Island was never there when we got here."

Tilting her head in confusion, Frankie replied instantly with a light tone.

"Don't be stupid, it's _always_ been there."

"NO." Jack snapped back fearfully, shaking his head in despair.

Memories flooded back to him, the water shook once more, violently. He felt all the times on that horrific island fly back. The water he was treading became more brutal, the grey clouds now nearing them. Frankie and Holly towed the inanimate man up onto the boat. He sat there, still frozen, eyes glazed. The sorrow, the tears, the pain, the betrayal. The fighting, the campfire. The temple; Kyogre. The palm-tree forest, the sandy beaches, the beautiful reef. The deadly creatures, Bon Voyage, Harry Voyager, Team Rocket, death; explosions and tidal waves. The Amber Eyed man; the Amber Eyes.

That Island vanished two years ago. It had never appeared since; never. He had waited for it to, but it never had. So why did Frankie claim it had been there all the time?

"That island," he said nervously.

"It doesn't _exist _anymore, it doesn't."

He felt as if every nerve in his body had burst, ever bone had broke; he was being lugged into the feeling of anguish that began to drown him. Gasping for air, he stood up suddenly and shook his head.

"Dr Poke'mon Isle has existed for millions of years, what are you talking about? _You _said so yourself yesterday that it had always been here." Holly said.

Jack's eyes-widened. Those words had never come from his mouth- never.

"I said no such thing." He retorted quickly.

"Yes you did- unless you have a twin who was diving yesterday." Frankie backed up the new diver, folding her arms over her chest suspiciously. Then she muttered something solemnly to herself, a rather rude remark about the male he was glad not to hear.

"I_ never_ said that." He repeated, feeling his composure fall.

"Did you hit your head on something down there _again_?" Frankie asked, leaning closer to examine his face.

Pacing backwards, Jack glowered and felt panic take over him. What was going on? He turned back to look at the Island. It was still there. Just the sight of the Island traumatised him.

"That Island should _not_ be there, it should not exist- it vanished after…" He paused, closing his mouth tightly. He could not say a word to them; they had to get out of here.

"After what?" The young Holly asked enquiringly.

He had to call the others. He to call May and Roland, maybe Drew if he was going to listen, though that was unlikely. They had to get to the bottom of this. He sat in the front of the boat, away from the confused Frankie and Holly. He pressed his foot down on the pedal frantically, the speedboat plunged forwards. Falling backwards, Holly scrambled for a seat, shock on her face. Frankie leapt over the barrier between the front and back of the boat to sit next to the frenzied male.

"Jack, slow down." She ordered.

"We_ have_ to get out of here-" He stuttered.

"-I'll drive, you bloody well calm down." She took over the wheel, beckoning Holly to sit with her at the front.

It was when Jack leapt to the back of the boat he realised how drastically the weather had changed. The grey clouds stretched across the whole sky, darkening to a deep black. Rain began to fall down, pummelling his face. The waves grew vicious- the water trembled slightly, rocking the boat. Gazing at the Island through the rain, he picked up Frankie's laptop and tapped away on the keypad. The line graph caught his eyes, and he gaped. A violent lurch of the boat sent him tumbling to the floor. Holly turned her head sharply.

"Dr Toll are you okay-?"

Not taking his eyes off the line graph as he sat on the wet leather seat, Jack became smothered in terror. He felt vulnerable again, and didn't like the feeling.

"-Holly get Roland on the phone; _NOW_."

* * *

Next time:

"-I know _exactly_ what you mean. Yesterday, the same thing happened to me fictional truth."

Jack's eyes-widened in curiosity. He wasn't the only one who'd been affected. In relief, he held a hand to his forehead before demanding answers.

"..._What_?"

--

"I thought you were out Roland." Jack said, leaning forwards to catch the man's eyes.

"I can't let you two have _all_ the fun." Roland replied lightly.

--

Roland felt his mobile vibrating in his pocket, and lifted the phone up slowly to see the number. His eyes fell, his lips twisted into a contort. In interest, the pair looked over at him, curious. His next words stung them both hard.

"It's Drew."

--

"I spy with my little eye something beginning wi-..." Her words trailed off.

The three of them gazed up in horror. All three of them felt irony prod them. Then as if it had been rehearsed, in unison they whispered...

--

Hope you enjoyed it!

Next update soon (:

thanks for reading, please review if possible!

Until next time

Izzy


	2. The Fictional Truths

Update finally (:

I was debating it but thought seeing as I haven't updated MayDrew thing, I'd put this chapter up :D lol.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, a lot of tension, you MAY be able to guess what I'm planning.....lol (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Poke'mon.

Claimer: I DO own Jack Toll, Professor John Roland, Frankie Topaz and Holly O'Plethia.

**PREVIOUSLY:**

With defined and respected authority, he paced toward the three others. He stoked his chin as a gesture of thought before moving his lips slowly in rhythm with his tongue.

"We're going to run the first move."

----

"You think you're _so_ smooth with the ladies Toll." She groaned sarcastically.

Jack's attention averted to a blonde haired woman. As soon as their eyes met, she nervously dragged her eyes away back down to the laptop on her knees. Her wavy hair was loose, streaming down past her shoulders in beautiful locks. A pair of pink chunky glasses framed her glistening hazel eyes. She appeared to be working once more, though part of her consciously was waiting for Jack's response. Titling his head to the right in amusement, Jack chuckled lightly, his eyes childish.

"Hmm Frankie…I think there's _lots _of evidence for that- last Wednesday perhaps (The blonde typist stopped typing and hunched her shoulders up to her neck in shock. "_You DARE and-_-") when you tried to snog my face off." He said smugly, grinning at the suddenly embarrassed blonde woman. Holly burst into immature, juvenile laughter; Frankie looked sheepish.

----

"Five noble awards in the space of seven months, oh I _will_ catch up Roland. You know I'm on my way to the top." He said, still drifting in his thoughts.

Roland on the other side of the walkie-talkie could be heard chuckling.

"I taught you well Toll, _too _well." He admitted.

----

"That…" He paused staggering for breath.

"That Island was never there when we got here."

Tilting her head in confusion, Frankie replied instantly with a light tone.

"Don't be stupid, it's _always_ been there."

"NO." Jack snapped back fearfully, shaking his head in despair.

"That island," he said nervously.

"It doesn't _exist _anymore, it doesn't."

----

The line graph caught his eyes, and he gaped. A violent lurch of the boat sent him tumbling to the floor. Holly turned her head sharply.

"Dr Toll are you okay-?"

Not taking his eyes off the line graph as he sat on the wet leather seat, Jack became smothered in terror. He felt vulnerable again, and didn't like the feeling.

"-Holly get John Roland on the phone; _NOW_."

**

* * *

**

**xXxXx A M B E R - E Y E S xXxXx**

Sequel to Love in the Strangest Places

**AnalystProductions 2008**

_Let the adventure begin..._

****

C2- The fictional Truths

Nervously Jack stepped out of the boat, opening the door to his large, laboratory sitting beside a small private harbour. Frankie, Holly and himself quickly walked in from the rain and into the warmth of a dry shelter. Tossing his equipment onto the floor lazily, he connected Frankie's laptop to the elaborate main computer system and tapped a few times on the keypad. Then, he turned away and left it processing; he could not think or work dripping wet.

Grabbing a towel from the bathroom, he started to dry his hair. He threw the towel over to Holly. It wasn't hard to see his was still in shock. The tremor within the teal eyes was giving him away. He had not quite woken up from what had happened. The blonde watched him wipe his face from water. She scowled.

"Jack- I never thought you could be…_heartless._" Frankie spat as soon as Holly had left the room to use the bathroom.

Puzzled, Jack walked towards her. He ran a hand through his magenta hair. Sure today he had been a bit of a jerk, but she had been no better. It was part of their routine, the teasing was harmless stuff. What did she mean by heartless? Then he rolled his eyes and sighed. He _knew _what she meant now and groaned.

"Are you referring to last Wednesday?" He asked rather arrogantly.

Then he received a painful response. Frankie slapped him hard across the face in rage, tears falling from her face. Her hazel eyes had never looked so betrayed before; it made him feel guilty- but he hadn't done anything wrong. Not anything he could think of anyway. Words finally sounded from her mouth.

"No you _idiot_! I'm talking about yesterday."

He pulled his eyebrows close together, his teal eyes revealing a vexed expression. Rubbing his cheek angrily, he stood in confusion. What had happened yesterday? What did she meant by that? Yesterday he hadn't even _seen _Frankie; he was in the laboratory, doing intense research.

"What_ about_ yesterday?" He asked bewildered, an expression of indifference sprawled over his face.

Standing motionless, Frankie bit her lip. She raised her hand to her mouth, and broke into tears. Jack dived towards her in concern, placing his hands on her shoulder to support her; he refused to hug her merely for the fact she had slapped him. Eyes radiating anxiety, he smoothed over her shoulders gently,

"Frank what's wrong?" He frowned obliviously.

She gazed up at him despairingly and pushed away from his grasp.

"What's _wrong_?! Do you not even _remembe_r what happened yesterday?"

He shook his head slowly, causing her to weep even more. It was upsetting him to see her this anguished. It upset him even more that he was the cause of it, and he had no idea why.

"You almost drowned. You fell unconscious in the water, and I saved your life Jack. I dived into the water, and I _saved _you-"

"-Frankie you're petrified of diving you hate the-"

"- When you woke up, you didn't even thank me, in fact, you ignored me _completely_. And then today you took the risk to go diving _again_, and you just-"

She bit her lip and wiped her eyes. Jack stood there frozen in bewilderment. He understood the fictional story completely. She was scared about this fictional Jack diving today in case he went so deep she couldn't get to him. She was being rude today because the Jack in her fictional story was being incredibly idiotic. The reason why this "truth" was fictional was because he hadn't been unconscious yesterday. He hadn't been diving yesterday. But still the fact she thought he would be that rude offended him greatly.

"-A _thank you_ would've been nice; I wasn't expecting anything more than that."

She shoved past him when Holly returned, naïve to the awkward atmosphere. Running to the door, Jack pushed it shut before she could get out and blocked her passage out. He gazed into the sad eyes in bewilderment. Had that _really_ happened? Had he fainted yesterday? Why could he not remember any of this? Why was it so realistic, yet so unreal? Was he dreaming? Maybe he was still unconscious from whatever he had hit? Had he hit something? No- he wasn't in the ocean yesterday. How long ago _was_ yesterday?

"Frankie- I wasn't even _diving _yesterday. I was_ here_, researching." He admitted truthfully.

Holly folded her arms over her chest with soft speculation. What did he mean? He had been diving yesterday- she was there, and so was Frankie. He knew they didn't believe him; and there was no use trying to convince them he was telling the truth.

"Now tell me what's really wrong." He added softly.

Holly groaned, Frankie exploded into a tomato-faced demon.

"You -_ignorant_- bastard. You're pretending it never happened, just to make me feel worse? You were out in the ocean yesterday, you know it. Now get out the way and _let me out_." She yelled furiously.

"No." Jack snapped rudely, he wanted to get to the bottom of this fictional truth.

Frankie growled and clenched her fists.

"_Move_."

Jack moved out the way quickly, and watched the blonde run out in the pouring rain to her red car. And having no idea why did it, he ran out into the rain after her, banging on her car door. She gazed out ominously with her brown eyes.

"Frankie_ listen_ to me!"

She drove off, making sure the puddle by the tyre of the car splattered over him. Choking on the water, he sighed. The rain trickled down, soaking his face. Confusion pelted him at the same intensity of the rain, smothering his skin. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, it did. Holly walked past him in disgust. The look of disdain seemed odd against her innocent face. She reached her blue car and leapt in without saying a word.

"_What _?"He snapped angrily, running a hand down his face in distress.

She lowered her car window furiously and caught his teal eyes.

"You didn't even say _thank you_ to her." She said before also walking out the door.

Jack stood there, baffled and hurt; alone. The rain drenched him, immersing him in a pensive state.

--

Twenty-four hours had passed since the return of the island. The night had been long and painful. Jack got not sleep, dark rims framed his eyes. He couldn't sleep knowing that the Island had returned. He couldn't sleep after discovering a fictional truth. There were several things in this fictional truth that unnerved him. The first one was "_Poke'mon isle has existed for millions of years, it's always been there_." Those words had never sounded from his lips in his whole life. The next series of speech were also anomalous, and haunting. He stewed it around his mind, whilst sitting on a stump on the harbour, studying the ocean.

Last night, Jack had called Roland about it all, to tell him the Island was back. Roland dismissively turned away, too afraid to get involved in anything to do with the Island again. It was clear to Jack something odd had happened to him too, for he sounded just as fearful when Jack had called. Jack knew calling Drew would be a bad idea, yet he still did. Drew Andrews hadn't bothered to phone back, he was growing more and more selfish by the second.

Only one of the other three treasures responded; May. She had driven down to Jack's laboratory in the night, arriving at the harbour by daylight. The brunette was sitting beside him now as a matter of fact, also silent. Jack hadn't noticed how much she had changed, for he saw her regularly. But someone like Drew, who had lost contact with her, would have struggled to associate this wonderful woman with the same sweet eighteen year old.

Her face had matured, becoming much more defined. Her lips were thinner, and her skin was radiant. Her glossy brunette hair fell down to her shoulders, wavy. Her cheekbones were much more delineated, a few freckles dusted her face, faint but they were still there. Her body was curvy, her hips had widened slightly, adding to her womanly essence. Her voice had changed too, it was still bubbly, yet it had much more substance to it. There were several layers about it now. Her sapphire eyes were exactly the same, they still twinkled marvellously. She was wearing a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms, and a pink-striped polo shirt; the casual lethargic clothing still made her look flawless. Turning her attentions to Jack, she rested a hand on his shoulder and spoke.

"I believe you Jack." She said.

Swallowing-hard, he slowly withdrew his gaze from the ocean, catching her orbs in a taut gaze. His lips wavered between a frown and a smile.

"I'm glad you came May. Roland refused and _Drew _didn't even-"

May groaned and averted her eyes distastefully.

"Let me guess-_ he_ was too _busy_ to answer his phone." She spat listlessly.

Nodding, Jack stood up and got onto the white boat he had used yesterday, May followed. There was a small silence in which the two of them thought about Drew. Jack noted May's eyes lost their life, and a grimace plastered over her face. He sighed and turned the boat engine on.

"Gee- what ever happened to him? He _used_ to be…" Jack shook his head in dismay, remembering the Drew the two of them once knew.

Shrugging, May didn't reply. She just gazed out into the mesmerising water, hoping it would wash away that name from her mind; it had caused her so much pain last year, she was recovering. Jack realised he hit a nerve and spoke quickly.

"How have you been anyway? It's been a while." He asked, changing the subject to something normal.

Smiling softly, May ran a hand through her brown hair. She gazed at the ocean in front of them and then turned back to the handsome teal-eyed man. It _had_ been a while. She had been so busy that her and Jack's usual catch up sessions had been postponed for three weeks. They kept in contact a lot, whether it was an email, a phone call or going out somewhere. Inevitable chemistry had slowly nurtured between them, binding their friendship stronger together.

"Oh great thanks; I'm still travelling with Brendon and its good fun. In fact, I think after seven months of moping I'm finally_ over_ Drew." She squealed happily in her usual excited tone.

Jack's skewed expression flipped to a happy smile for the brunette. The last seven months had been hard for May. He still didn't understand why Drew had split up with her. He didn't understand why he hadn't bothered to stay friends with her either. He was crazy not to, May was one of the most amazing people Jack had ever had the pleasure of meeting. But whatever the reason, it was still unfair. Every time Jack had seen May within the past seven months, she looked pale and she had been unhappy. It was great to hear she was getting back onto the rollercoaster of life.

That was the thing about life, they had all come to learn after the Island adventure; Jack was unsure about Drew but he knew the others had. There was no happily ever after, and if there was, it would never last. It had taught them to make the most of things, before they slipped away.

"Good for you May." He said.

Tousling her fingers through her hair, May nodded rather optimistically, her sapphire eyes burnishing.

"What about you _Dr_?" She asked teasingly, smirking.

Jack chuckled and elbowed her playfully. She nudged him back, only more forcefully, she had become much stronger over the few years. The two of them collided eyes, shades of teal and sapphire blending wonderfully into a vortex of glistening shades of blue.

"Excuse me- are you mocking me?" He asked with a grin, cheering up slightly.

"_Yes _I am." She admitted honestly, her lips revealing pearly white teeth in a captivating smile.

There was a silence, where Jack skimmed his hands over the steering wheel of the boat. May repeated with her original question. She knew the answer, she had guessed by the lack of vibrancy in his face, the lack of life in his eyes.

"So you're ok?"

Sighing, Jack grimaced. His life was far from great, but he didn't want to complain or moan, he didn't want May to think he was whinging. The brunette caught onto his sorrow. He managed to choke up words.

"Yeah," he lied, studying the floor.

"I'm ok."

Hemade no elaboration on his statement. She knew he was lying, but knew it would not be wise to question him; she prompted him instead, prying for information.

"Any girls?" She asked curiously.

Both of them laughed at her words and grinned at each other. They both knew full well there were many girls after Jack. But the point was none of the appealed to him. Some of them did the most ridiculous things, things that May and Jack would become hysterical over. Ruffling a hand through his magenta hair, Jack's laughter died, his face fell.

"No-one since Tori, I'm kind of holding out for someone special, I don't think they'll ever come though." He admitted sadly.

"Mhm- I know the feeling." May replied wryly; the two of them grinned again and caught eyes in a collision of strong friendship.

Jack saw something wonderful in May's eyes, hope was donated generously to him. He felt his spirits lift, the weight on his shoulders faded away. It wasn't so bad after all. He had one fantastic friend; he had someone who believed him. He had May. Examining the striking teal tones within his iris, May felt her lips flex into a genuine smile. Their intense gaze was broken when Jack cowardly averted his vision away to something far less captivating and interesting. Tapping her fingernails on the boat, May coughed awkwardly and spoke.

"So this fictional truth you spoke of. Frankie claims you were diving on Thursday, and you fell unconscious. She jumped into the water to save you and when you woke up you were in a daze. But you claim that you were in your laboratory all day, researching the Amber Hollow (she shuddered at the word Amber, as did Jack.). You weren't even out in the ocean. So how come two people witnessed something that _never happened_? How come they are able to recall a fictional truth?"

Jack shrugged in bewilderment. He shook his head slowly, he had no idea what was going on there. All he knew was that he had not been diving on Thursday, no matter how many people said he was. Leaning forwards toward May, he sat up cross-legged on the seat, holding a hand to his chin. His teal eyes shone with innovation.

"It's like two years ago in reverse I guess. When we woke up after the Island encounter- things that had happened never _did_ happen. The boat never blew up; all the passengers on Bon Voyage survived when they died. When I woke up in my room on May Isle, I was told I had fallen unconscious. But I was no-where near where I had fallen unconscious at that time of day before the Island encounter."

May narrowed her eyes in interest, knowing where he was going with this. She hadn't had a conversation this deep since two years ago, when she and Drew had discussed the whole adventure in such detail it all was too much to take in.

"It's as if something's _changing_ what happens. Something's making things _different _to how they should be. It's like looking through someone else's eyes and seeing it all differently; it's not right." He then sighed at the neutral look on her face.

"Don't worry May, you probably think I sound stupid-"

She reached out and grabbed his hand anxiously, to ensure she wasn't alone.

"-_No_ Jack. I know _exactly_ what you mean. Yesterday, I had a fictional truth."

Jack's eyes-widened in curiosity. He wasn't the only one who'd been affected. In relief, he held a hand to his forehead before demanding answers.

"..._What_?"

May swallowed-hard and gazed out into the harbour whilst talking.

"Brendon and I were in a small flower shop. A woman I'd never seen before started asking me about how I was and if I was feeling better. I asked her what she meant and Brendon told me that on Monday I had passed out when he had gone to train. He told me that the lady in the flower shop had called an ambulance to come and take me to hospital. But Brendon _didn't _train that day- I remember. We always left Mondays as our chill out day. He never trained, and we were always together. I didn't faint, and I've _never _seen that woman before in my life."

The two of them sat motionless, engaged by each other's stories. Jack was shocked. The same thing had happened to May. People had claimed something had happened resulting in them falling unconscious. But the events did not fit with the past and neither of them recalled being unconscious. Teal eyes sparkling with fright, Jack tried to speak but no words came out. May was about to break the silence when a third voice sounded.

"You're not the only ones. The same thing happened to me."

Without looking up, May instantly withdrew her hand from Jack's. Gazing up, Jack saw a figure leaning against the boat, a solemn look on their face. Their jet-black hair was trimmed neatly, framing their handsome face; their eyes were shinning with an intriguing aura. He was wearing a pair of navy jeans, and a long red t-shirt. Hauling himself up onto the boat, the man took the last space next to May at the front. May looked at the man she had not seen for two years, and gaped. It was a shock, suddenly seeing him again. She wasn't overjoyed to see him, but it was comforting to know another one of the four treasures was having troubles. She smiled softly at Roland, who took a few seconds to match her matured face with her name.

"Long time no see." He admitted holding a hand out.

Shaking it slowly, May beamed, sapphire eyes twinkling.

"I thought you were out Roland." Jack said, leaning forwards to catch the man's eyes.

"I can't let you two have _all_ the fun." Roland replied lightly.

Jack grinned for a second before his face fell. All three of them became silent; the reunion was not quite complete without the fourth person. It was different. Yet they all knew Drew was not coming back, he was swallowed into the world of fame and money, and there was no turning back. May watched Jack steer the boat out into the ocean. They began to leave land, the waves beneath them crashing against the white body.

"The Island is something I need to see with my own eyes again, I can't believe it if I don't see it." Roland added truthfully.

Jack ran a hand through his hair and gazed down at the clock.

"It's about an hour's journey." He explained, accelerating suddenly.

Wrapping her arm around Jack's in shock, May winced at the speed. Roland clutched the side of the boat as they sped through the water recklessly.

"Perhaps we could go at a more _reasonable_ speed." May suggested, feeling the breeze swathe her face violently, her hair flying behind her.

Chuckling, Jack nodded and lowered the speed; there appeared to be no difference in the impact and May gave up haggling. She gazed at the clock; only one fraction of a second had passed so far. She groaned, this was going to be a long journey, no matter how fast Jack was driving. Gazing out at the empty ocean she clasped her hands together.

"I spy with my little eye something beginning with-"

"-Oh come on, you're not bored _already_ are you?" Jack teased.

"No, no. I just wish we got to the Island _faster."_

And as soon as she said that she wished she hadn't, for Jack accelerated faster. He grinned, watching her pout in displeasure.

"You did that on purpose." She spat.

"You asked for it- _literally_." He chimed; she folded her arms across her chest and smiled. Her irritation faded.

Then suddenly something different came into view, a large boat. May smirked and began to speak.

"I spy with my little eye something beginning wi-..." Her words trailed off.

The three of them gazed up in horror at the boat that was sailing past. All three of them felt irony prod them. Then as if it had been rehearsed, in unison they whispered.

"Bon Voyage."

**o0o0o0o0o**

The three of them sat motionless, mouths wide. The pleasant glow on their skin from the radiant embellishment of the sunlight wilted rapidly into a sallow paste that sheathed their complexions. Their eyes became empty, and unreadable. The intensity of the sparkling water, the vivacious beauty of the day, all collapsed suddenly. It was all compressed and grinded into a density that sent calamitous shudders up from the tips of your toes, to the brim of the skull. Jack smoothed a hand through his hair- it felt like straw beneath his tense fingers. His body trembled. There was clear evidence of shock suffocated his pores, clamping down on his hastening heart. With each growing second, the look plastered on his face was magnified into one more full of horror than it had ever been.

Roland failed to breath in air, his airways obstructed by a slice of overwhelming fear so large, he choked on it. And as quickly as a flame would wane when drowned in water, the life in his eyes subsided instantly. The only thing holding him upright was May's hand; she had one hand clasped tightly on Jack's arm and the other Roland's jacket, hauling both of them close in trauma. Her shaking fingers nervously dug into her friends' skin, revealing her indubitable terror. The cherry lips of the female slid shut slowly, a rush of distraught consuming her so frantically it made her feel faint, dizzy.

May's tight grip around Jack's arm felt like a vice, condensing the skin so compactly he could feel the blood struggling to pump past. In unison, as if rehearsed, they all swallowed-hard and watched the object of their despair loom closer. How could this be possible? It wasn't possible- it wasn't even plausible. Questions tried to float around Jack's head, yet he was so horrified there was no room for curiosity, only fear. Fear was the dictator of his mind, and it was going to stay in power for a long, long time. It was obvious this was the case with both May and Roland also, who both looked paler than china dolls.

Roland began to structure a sentence on his tongue; however he found himself aborting the attempt to talk. Instead, he whipped a hand briskly to his mouth, kneading his lips in the grip of his clenched palm. May mirrored his actions, withdrawing the hand grasped on Roland's jacket. Drenched with fright, Jack breathed deeply and stared intensely at the object. It was close enough to draw the conclusions it was indeed what they feared.

The large white cruise boat towered nearby to them, plunging through the waves, churning the water around; the small speedboat they were in began to shake gently. Passengers could be seen on the fancy deck, conversing about things. Shaking his head, Jack stood up, leaning forwards in shock; he felt sick.

"But t-that's not _possible_. The boat was terminated last year, it didn't match safety regulations. It was on the news last September." Licking his lips from their dry state, he held both hands against his head and continued.

"That boat was banned from sailing the ocean _ever_ again."

The other two witnesses sat down were motionless, and didn't speak. They knew he was right. They had all seen it on the news. They knew what they were seeing could not be there, but it was. Gazing at the deck of the boat, May shuddered remembering unpleasant memories. It was so real, so close, she almost felt like she was there again. She could feel her feet walking across the wooden deck on that darkened night. She was running. She was screaming. He was following her, stalking her down.

She had hit a dead end. He had emerged out of the darkness. She had been cornered, she had been-

-May buried her head into her knees, body shaking. Glancing up at the boat, Jack narrowed his eyes and shifted his attention to the solemn May. Running to her side, he sat beside her, supporting her. Her sapphire eyes failed to meet his, for they were winced shut.

"May-"

After much effort, he managed to lift her posture, so he could see her face; though he wished he hadn't. She looked comatose, frightened.

"-T-that d-deck was w-where…w-where…" her words trailed off.

She dejectedly crashed into Jack's arms; Roland's eyes didn't leave the boat, yet they did soften at the sound of her tears. Feeling tears prick at his eyes, Jack nodded slowly understanding. He knew the story. He didn't know the details; he knew it was wrong to ask such a personal question. Whatever had happened those two years ago, he knew Harry Voyager had scarred her for life. And it was evident that her fears were coming back to her. Patting her gently on the shoulder, to indicate he was there, Jack kissed the rim of her head sadly, a look of revulsion on his face.

"H-_he_…" May began again, her voice jumping octaves.

"Shhh," Jack whispered soothingly, cradling her like a baby comfortingly.

"It's ok."

As much as May wanted to believe his words, she couldn't. The memories were more real than ever now. Jack's teal eyes drifted back towards the boat. For a split second, he had become immune to the horror of what was happening. But now, looking back at the boat, he felt it hit him again with double the force. The words were painted fancily on the side of the boat, haunting them. The letters stabbed their eyes; shimmering gold. All three of them read the words solemnly; May bit her lip, pausing her tears.

Bon Voyage.

The three of them sat up more alert when they realised which way the vast boat was heading. Their fear shed quickly into distraught. Their movements became agitated and frantic. All three of them lunged for the control wheel, grappling the steering controls. Bon Voyage howled with delight, smoke escaping the funnel, undulating into a grey cloud, tainting the sky. Roland's eyes flashed with anxiety. The boat began to rock more violently as the giant waves crashing against the front of Bon Voyage hit them.

"-We're going to crash-"

"-John _get off_ I can't steer-"

Jack defensively pushed Roland's hands off the wheel, trying to spin the boat out of the way. However, May's hands were clasped tighter on the wheel, tugging the opposite way to Jack,

"-This way-"

"-We won't _make_ it that way, give it to me-"

Roland's pessimistic countdown began to send the three of them into panic mode.

"-We're going to be crushed in five-"

Wrenching May's hands off the wheel, Jack glowered hard into her eyes. She gazed back, tears stained her face. Their intensified stare caused the atmosphere to stir, detonating any serenity nearby. Her hands dived towards the wheel again. Bon Voyage drew closer; the shadow of the boat swooped over them, blocking the sunlight. Jack watched the shadow impend over them, everything got darker. Grabbing her hands forcefully, the teal-eyed man swallowed-hard.

"-Give me the wheel Jack-"

"-Four-"

"-NO May I _can't_. You don't know how to _drive_ a boat, I do. Just let me steer it out the way before we all become-"

"-Three…?!"

Roland's voice began shrouded in panic. He gazed over to the squabbling pair and grabbed the brunette by the shoulders, pulling her back away from the wheel. The frenzied female struggled against his grip, refusing to let go of the wheel, panic casting over her. But when Roland gazed at the proximity of the boat, he released her, also leaping for the wheel. Jack watched Bon Voyage draw nearer. Faster, faster and faster.

Nearer.

They were seconds away from a crash, an impact that would send them sprawling over the side of the speedboat. His teal eyes frosted over completely with doubt. If they continued fighting over the controls, they would not make it. They would drown.

"We're going to crash-" May cried.

The speedboat juddered sadistically, water tumbling over the edge into the boat.

"-Let _me_ take the bloody wheel _I'm_ the Professor here-"

"-Well you're not acting like one._ I'm_ the one who's trying to turn the boat-"

May snapped back, bitter tears streaming down her face. She didn't want this to happen again. She didn't want the memories of the past to come slamming into her; she didn't want to be reminded of everything that had happened. She wanted to forget. She wanted to move on. But her nightmare was coming closer towards her, about to envelope her.

"-And _I'm _appalled. For _god's sake_ both of you are being absolutely PATHETIC. Didn't you learn anything from the Island? In times like these you don't have time to act like morons. Now move out of my bloody way and let me steer. Trust me." Jack pleaded sternly.

He leant forwards to the steering wheel, May and Roland were still clutched to it, but refrained from turning it around clockwise. Both of them became paralysed, eyes wide.

They were too late.

The two of them gazed up at the gigantic white boat in front of them. Jack gripped the steering wheel with relief, not looking in the direction they were. May shielded herself, screaming. Roland wrapped a hand over his eyes, the other over May's face. Jack didn't have to guess what was about to happen. It all went dark. The water plummeted over the front of the speedboat. He spun his head round to see Bon Voyage and his mouth dropped open. Before he could even react, the massive cruise-liner hit them.

A strident roar sounded. Metal against metal. The battle of the ant and the giant began. It tore through the speedboat, morphing it into a wreckage of deteriorating metal. The large boat slammed into them. It pinned them against the tight air. May fastened her hands to her ears. Sounds at an unbearable frequency shrilled through her eardrum. Skewing his face up, Jack shut his eyes; he was ready. He was read to be pushed back into the water. He was ready to be thrown with such force downwards that he would _have _to gasp for air. Therefore, he would drown. There would be no time to reach the surface. He would die. All three of them were going to die. No-one would know.

It was then the piercing metallic snarl suddenly vanished from their ears. Replacing it was a sound similar to nothing on this earth. A deafening paranormal howl struck the air. Its depth was so low, so endless and so profound that if you tried to put a pitch to the sound you would fail. It was neither a high-pitched sound, nor a low-pitched sound. It was a sound they had never heard before, one they could not classify. Roland tried to tune his ears to a familiar sound, but there was none. The unearthly sound dragged through his mind, twisting his logic, questioning everything.

Opening his eyes on reflex, Jack caught eyes with a confused May. The three of them leapt up on the speedboat. Bon Voyage continued to plough through, only it was causing no damage to their speedboat at all. In fact, to be precise, it was sailing right through them. It was translucent, with no substance to it. The three of them were exposed to the transparent cross-section of the boat as it pushed its way through them. The sunlight was no longer blocked out.

It was as if the boat was no longer there.

"What's going on?" Roland hissed over the paranormal sound.

Studying the rooms, Jack reached out to touch the metal pole of the boat that was about to slam into his chest at immense speed. To his surprise, his hand went right though it. His body went right through it. Sprawling backwards clumsily, he turned horrified to his two friends. His eyes were wide. Shuddering he felt his insides being coiled as the boat passed through him.

"It went right _through_ me!" He breathed, groping his hands down his body frantically to check all of him was still there.

"It went right through me." His eyes lit up with anticipation, and curiosity. Questions raced through his mind.

As May opened her mouth to form words, she threw her hands back to her ears. The paranormal howl screeched outwards once more. Roland fell back onto his seat in horror. Bon Voyage passed through them. The ocean appeared in front of them again, empty. Turning behind him, Roland expected to see the large boat. But he saw nothing.

Bon Voyage had vanished from sight, as if it was nothing but a mirage on the ocean, an evocative illusion.

It had not been an illusion, they knew it. Jack closed his gaping mouth, raking his hands aggressively through his hair. He had really thought they were going to die. What had happened had baffled him. The boat had gone right through them all, as it wasn't even solid. The impossible seemed to become more possible by each second. His eyes scanned the ocean; it was bare. Like before, they were the only boat on the horizon.

He looked at the undamaged speedboat and then turned to May who sat down on the leather seat, hands clasped to her cheeks. She was somewhere else, her eyes distant. It was not hard to see she was locked in thoughts, pensive. Roland was starting behind him, hand stretched outwards. It was frozen in the air, as if he was part of a photograph. The only indication that he was living was the rate he was breathing in air. Jack was the first to speak.

"That had to be the scariest moment of my life." He admitted ruffling his magenta hair.

Catching his teal eyes, the brunette nodded slowly in agreement. Her face was ashen white, pale.

"It just disappeared. It just went right through us, like a ghost, like it was nothing." May hissed through gritted teeth, still shaking.

"But what if it wasn't the nothing? What if _we_ were the nothing?" Jack whispered fearfully, running a hand over his chest to ensure he was still there once more.

He noticed May tense and released her muscles; testing her body after the shocking events. They all knew what Jack meant, and they all shuddered. Roland averted Jack's question quickly, pretending to ignore the disturbing thoughts that soared through him. He knew what Jack meant. The thoughts grew into something horrific that he couldn't ignore.

"If it_ hadn't_ just disappeared like that we would be dead." Roland placed a hand thoughtfully to his own chin and gazed over a silent Dr. Toll.

He frowned at the male's expression and gestured towards the steering wheel. If it had been any other circumstance, the boat would have ploughed through them and killed them all. Jack had tried to get them out of the scenario, but May and Roland had been caught in a hypnotic trance of frenzy they declined to listen to him and continued fighting childishly over the control. It was as if something had given them a second chance, another life. It was far beyond the power of luck now. It was in the hands of fate. And fate had tested them before; they did not want another encounter with it.

"Jack. You were right, we were being pathetic. In times like that you don't have _time_ to panic. We were lucky that-"

"-Lucky that what? That the boat was an _illusion_? Are you going to start doubting what you see _again_?" May asked rather hurt.

The bitter memory of the Island came flooding back to the three of them, when Roland had abandoned them, after doubting the truth. Scowling at the brunette, Roland narrowed his eyes and vented his anger though clenched fists. He was not going to start an argument with May, not now. She knew better than to mock him after such a terrifying experience. Jack placed a hand on her shoulder and gazed at Roland pacifying both of them.

"Guys, the last thing we should be doing is arguing. We need to work together to figure this out."

Sighing, the brunette neatened her dishevelled hair.

"Jack, I'm sorry I panicked I was scared." She said, refusing to catch eyes with a flustered Roland.

Jack smiled softly at her and nodded with comprehension. It was good to see that the painful memories had left her, and that she had recovered quickly from the sight of her nightmare flushing back. The Professor sitting beside May fiddled with his jet-black hair, his ultramarine eyes furbishing in the lambent sunlight.

"We _all _were scared." Roland confessed, trying to forget May's remark. However, he couldn't. Images of that scorching day continued to ignite behind his eyes.

"Everything happens for a reason. Something's happening." May replied instantly, eyes flashing with fright.

"First the Island, now _this_." Jack chuckled with a warped humour.

Neither Roland nor May appreciated his attempts to ease the fear. Then he spoke dangerous words which put fate to a test. And putting fate to the test was not wise.

"What_ next_?"

A silent effort to laugh escaped May's dry lips. Roland choked on his laughter, endeavouring to even find a cheerful side to Jack's words. It seemed to have backfired. It was only making him more fearful. Jack was right. What _was_ next? Were things going to get worse? And what was all the meaning of this? Dr. Toll subconsciously bit his finger nails, whilst building up his bravery to speak.

"Roland," Jack hesitated to continue, waiting for an acknowledgement.

Roland transferred his vision toward the handsome male sitting beside the brunette. He raised a brow gesturing for the man to continue. Jack studied the floor nervously, whilst steering the boat forwards through the water.

"You said earlier…it-it happened to you as well." No elaboration was needed on the subject. Roland knew it was time his story was told.

Smoothing a hand fretfully over his eyes, Roland nodded slowly.

"This morning- it's what _made_ me come and see you two. It made me realise that you were right Toll," he paused dramatically, sending a shiver of fear up May's spine.

"Something _is _happening."

A ghostly silence haunted them before he continued.

"I woke up this morning, next to no-one, nothing. Confused, I went into the kids' room. My two kids weren't there. Jasmine was gone. The house was _empty_. I called her mobile. The number didn't exist. I called her boss. He said he'd never employed her."

Roland gazed at them though tired, and sorrowful eyes consumed in a dim smear of fear.

"I-didn't-know-what-to-do. I figured they might have gone for a morning walk. So I went out to look for them. A man came up to me in the street and asked me how I was, for apparently I fell unconscious yesterday, when driving the car home from a funeral. I wasn't driving at all yesterday,_ Jasmine_ did all the driving, and I didn't faint. I didn't even go to a funeral yesterday. I was in my laboratory _studying_. I walked on, receiving several solemn looks from passers by. I reached the church graveyard and-"

He swallowed tears, wiping his eyes. Through the misty orbs, May could see the memories painted onto the glazed surface; she swallowed-hard.

"These boys were throwing stones at some graves. In horror, I went over to usher them away and put them in place. Then I saw the names on the graves. I-I…"

He bowed his head in grief; his voice fell to a low whisper.

"My wife and my children's' names were all engraved on the gravestones. All three names were there, so_ real_. They were printed on neatly, the date of their deaths, and everything. I bent down to touch the gravestones. This is going to sound_ crazy_-"

"-Try me." Jack said bluntly, obvious dread in his voice.

"When I touched the stone, the names…the names they….changed."

May lifted her head up, tugging hard on Jack's arm.

"_Changed_?" She mouthed in horror.

"Yes. Jasmine Roland changed to…" his words trailed off, he shook his head clearly not wanting to share that information with them. Instead, he continued.

"Seconds later, I run back to my house. I open the door. Jasmine's there. The kids are there. They're alive. But for one moment, just _one_ small moment, they weren't here. They were _dead_."

Neither Jack nor May knew what to say after the whole story had been told. It was such a traumatising story that there could be no words to reply with. Lifting his teary eyes to meet Jack's Roland shook his head.

"What on earth could manipulate life in such way? What kind of demon would do that?"

May spoke clearly, and defined her words, dying them with fright.

"So basically, we all apparently became unconscious without remembering in which a series of fictional events happened that everyone else claims to be true."

No-one answered her. There was evidence of an awkward tension filtering their consciousness away into thin streamlined states of deep thought. Scratching the back of his head, Jack coughed, the silence echoed away into a sharp concave.

"I wonder if it happened to Drew too?" he asked.

The three of them grimaced at that name, an uncomfortable silence hanging gloomily over them.

"I suppose we should…press on?" Roland then suggested feebly, shuffling gawkily. May nodded in agreement quickly. Jack said nothing, he sat there silent, still in despair. Then suddenly, he lunged towards the floor, his movements agitated,

"Yes. We're only another ten minutes away from the Island, you can see it in the distance now, if you look."

He picked up the binoculars from the floor and pointed leftwards with his trembling hand. May took the binoculars hesitatingly and peered through them. Within a few seconds she withdrew then from her face, wiping the lens before placing them back onto her eyes. Roland was certain the look on Jack's face could not have fallen any deeper into shock; he was wrong. May handed the binoculars to Roland and gazed sceptically at Jack.

"_Sure _it's there?" She asked confused.

He would have laughed if she was being teasing, but she was being serious. Pulling himself up from the seat, Jack snatched the binoculars off Roland rudely, and threw them against his eyes. It was clear he was stunned by her response. The magenta hair was caressed by the sudden gust of wind that swept through the air. Jack gazed at the ocean ahead and he dropped the binoculars in disbelief. The next gaze that caught May's eyes was unnerving; polarised teal against crystallised sapphire. Both sets of eyes gleamed with an icy horror that dripped through the iris.

"I-It was _there_." He said shaking his head. His forefinger shot out towards the horizon. But like an arrow lunging at an already moved target, there was nothing he could point at. There was nothing to target.

The Island was gone.

In its place was a bleary horizon of endless water, stretching infinitely in every direction. The intensified sunlight crashed onto his face, illuminating the doubt in his eyes for his witnesses' to see. However, it would have been better if they had refused to look at him. The sight of 's vacant eyes worried them. It was gone. It had been there. He had seen it. Jack stared restlessly at the horizon muttering words beneath his breath, as if he believed he could summon the Island with words. Nothing happened.

"Jack, are you _sure_?"

He threw his hand angrily towards the horizon once more, teeth gritted when he saw the doubt in Roland's eyes.

"It was there. The Island was there. I wouldn't lie about this. I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. Frankie saw it too, and so did Holly. It _was_ there, I swear."

He turned helplessly to May and Roland. May was looking more sympathetic than sceptical, as if she felt his pain. But Roland was looking more sceptical than sympathetic stewing over the possibly that Jack had been lying. Before the professor could question, Jack held a hand up to the air and began to question his own trust.

"You believe me-" his certainty faded from his voice when he met their expressionless faces. His tone became more desperate. "…_right_?"

There was silence that was more hurtful than the honest trust. The honest truth was obvious; the silence enhanced its effect. Biting his tongue distastefully, Jack raised his chin. His eyes were a tennis ball sandwiched awkwardly between two still rackets.

"How can you _question_ this? You just saw Bon Voyage _sail_ right through us. You just admitted that you thought something was happening. And what about these fictional truths we've all had? Does that mean nothing?" He asked.

When May lowered her head to wipe her teary eyes, Jack frowned. Roland said nothing, remaining a statue, frozen in frame Jack lowered his chin, defeated. The silence stabbed him again. Picking up the binoculars, he threw them angrily into the box by May's feet and sat far away from her, steering the boat back to the coastline. After exactly thirty four seconds of silence, May ran a hand through her hair and touched Jack's shoulder gently; he brushed her off dismally.

"Jack it's not that we don't believe you. We _do_ believe you, we never doubted you. There's a lot to take in and it's just-"

"-I can't believe it if I don't see it." Roland muttered over her words, casuing tension. May breathed deeply and continued.

"I can't help but think something's messing with us now. I saw that look in your eyes. I believe you."

Her simple explanation pacified the upset Jack Toll; he nodded slowly and didn't brush her hand off his shoulder this time. He let her hand rest there, comforting his weakened soul. Shifting his eyes to hers quickly he found there was no escape. The sapphire orbs sparkled magnificently in the sunlight, enhanced by the blue waters surrounding them. Jack studied the compound, captivating shades within her eyes. He began to wonder how anybody's eyes could look that wonderful, how anybody in general could look that flawless.

May averted her eyes nervously, a smile on her lips; a small flush of colour had entered her cheeks, but it was hidden away. Roland felt his mobile vibrating in his pocket, and lifted the phone up slowly to see the number. His eyes fell, his lips twisted into a contort. In interest, the pair looked over at him, curious. His next words stung them both hard.

"It's Drew."

* * *

Next time:

"He still talks to _you _then?" Jack gruffly mumbled.

----

"I've never seen that picture before Jack. You and a friend?" She asked about to get up to view it.

Holding his hand out, Jack pushed her down to the sofa quickly. He got up and pushed the picture down, so you could not see the image.

"Long story." He muttered.

----

How the_ hell_ did you get in here?"

The young man spoke.

"That doesn't matter. Sir, you have to believe me. Something's happening. I d-don't know what it is, but…AMBER-"

"-_AMBER_?" The president choked fearfully, now alerted.

----

"We have no idea what the weapon is sir, but we know it's strong. We know it's enough to threaten society. They have asked for a compromise. In exchange for four people…they will terminate the weapon."

The President skewed his lips. A negotiation with AMBER was not commendable. It was more like appeasement, and appeasement had failed time and time again. It never stopped them. Why would AMBER terminate in exchange for people? Why did they want the people? What were they planning to do? He remembered the boy who had recently entered the room. The pictures he had shown him. The words he had picked out from Jesse's frantic speech hit him in the face, pelting against his brain; kill. Shaking his head, the President swallowed-hard and spoke.

"And who are these people?" He asked reservedly, not wanting to give the impression he was agreeing to negotiate.

", Miss Maple, Professor Roland, Mr. Andrews."

----

**I have spent ages on this story!**

**I really hope you enjoyed this chap :)**

**updates soon (:**

**I WILL update MayDrew thing soon, i promise :P**

**Please review if possible :D**

**izzy xx**


	3. The First Move

Hey all,

I am so sorry about not updating sooner. Thanks to everyone for being patient with me and waiting (: I know it's annoying when you want to read a new chapter but it's not there XD

I am working on MayDrew thing slowly. It's in progress and the plot is really progressing. So bear with me! lol.

FINALLY, I update Amber eyes :D

I am writing chapter 4 at the moment, so hopefully I'll try put it up within two weeks (:

Enjoy guys :D

**PREVIOUSLY:**

"I thought you were out Roland." Jack said, leaning forwards to catch the man's eyes.

"I can't let you two have _all_ the fun." Roland replied lightly.

---

"-We're going to crash-"

"-John _get off_ I can't steer-"

Jack defensively pushed Roland's hands off the wheel, trying to spin the boat out of the way. However, May's hands were clasped tighter on the wheel, tugging the opposite way to Jack,

"-This way-"

"-We won't _make_ it that way, give it to me-"

**---**

May averted her eyes nervously, a smile on her lips; a small flush of colour had entered her cheeks, but it was hidden away. Roland felt his mobile vibrating in his pocket, and lifted the phone up slowly to see the number. His eyes fell, his lips twisted into a contort. In interest, the pair looked over at him, curious. His next words stung them both hard.

"It's Drew."

****

* * *

xXxXx A M B E R - E Y E S xXxXx

Sequel to Love in the Strangest Places

**AnalystProductions 2008**

_Let the adventure begin..._

**C3- The first move**

"_He still talks to __you _then?" Jack gruffly mumbled.

The jet-black haired male leapt out of the poorly parked boat onto the soil and didn't reply. It had begun to rain now, the sunlight shrouded behind grey clouds. There was a disgusted flicker in May's eyes. Jack patted her shoulder gently, in an understanding manner that consoled her slightly. The way Drew had treated her and Jack was unacceptable. They believed Roland was part of this abuse too. It was clear to both of them now that the treasures had split into two factions; Jack and May, and then Drew. Roland was in the middle, for he seemed to be wavering between, getting the best of both.

After five seconds of gritting his teeth and tapping his foot impatiently on the soil, Jack raked a hand though his hair and spoke furiously.

"What did the moron want anyway?"

Roland sighed and caught eyes with the saddened man. The rain fell slowly, gently caressing their skin.

"I don't really know, he sounded worried. But he was incredibly _rude_." He admitted solemnly in the mannerism a child would use to confess a crime.

He had finally crossed over to the side of reality, leaving behind the thoughts of hope. He now knew Jack and May were right. Drew had changed, he was not the same. He was not coming back. He was different. He was an arrogant, egoistic airhead and he had forgotten the true meaning of life. Drew Andrews had ditched them for fame, model girlfriends and popularity. Eyes watering, Roland shook his head and examined the ground. He kicked a stone angrily across the ground; it flew several yards.

"Maybe he did encounter a fictional truth…" Jack muttered.

"Who _cares_ if he did?" May bitterly replied, folding her arms over her chest in rage. The truth was, none of them really did anymore, he had drifted into something undesirable. It was clear she did not want to talk about the male, it made her restlessly livid.

"I never thought he was one of _those _people…" Roland trailed off, unable to finish.

"Neither did we." May retorted grumpily, her eyes smouldered the scenery around so it perished into flame beneath her vision.

"I guess we were all wrong." Jack sighed rubbing May's shoulder gently to calm her.

Then, walking down the gravelled path towards his large white laboratory, he beckoned the other two. He said nothing, teal eyes glistening with sorrow. The truth hurt. His best friend, his only best friend- was reduced to a fame-obsessed idol of teenage society. Sometimes Jack did blame himself. He couldn't help it. It was natural. He, May and Roland had seen the transition from the man to a monster and there was nothing any of them could have done about it.

Sitting on the leather sofa to the side of the fancy laboratory, Roland and May watched Jack pace around the room in fear. To ease the atmosphere, Roland spoke, admiring the advanced technology, the modernised style of the room, and the impressive pile of books on the table in front of him.

"No bad Jack." He said grinning.

Jack grinned back for a second and sat hesitantly on the edge of the sofa, bringing his knees up to his chin, so he sat like an intimidated child, rocking ever so slightly. The brunette beside him leant on his knees, too stunned by the past events to yawn or express forms of fatigue. Roland picked up a book on the desk and skimmed through the pages chuckling.

"You based your investigation on a theory of Professor Elm?" He asked.

Jack shrugged releasing his body slowly. He drew his legs to the floor, May resting on his shoulder. Nothing could scare him while he was with his two friends. May and Roland were here and he felt safe with them around. They were like family, extremely close, not easily separated. Gazing at the clock, Jack watched five minutes pass by in what felt like five seconds. He watched the darkness enclose the skies around, plunging the earth into nightfall. Roland glanced at the clock with dismay and stood up holding a hand out to Jack.

"Best be on my way Jack." He admitted.

Jack took his hand and leapt up. He hugged Roland lightly, catching the man's eyes in an anxious collision. Did this mean Roland was out? Was Roland going to forget everything that had happened? Or was he going to dwell on it like Jack would? Where could they go from here? Was there anywhere to go from here? Noticing Jack's pensive mood, he patted the young man's shoulder and spoke tentative words.

"Don't go looking for answers; the answers will be looking for us."

With that, Roland left the laboratory, instantly engaging himself into a phone call with his wife, to ensure she was ok. Closing the door, Jack sat back beside May. The brunette's sapphire eyes had made a sharp transition from tranquillity to concern. Twisting her head so her vibrant eyes met his, she sighed and smiled softly. Jack wished he could capture this moment forever because he had never felt so secure and so animate before. Each flicker in their colliding eyes was exaggerated by the bright artificial light, enhancing the aura. Each small pore of skin was glowing with radiance on both faces. The two beautiful people felt their lips morph automatically into grins.

"Why does this always happen?" May laughed rolling her eyes.

"The staring contests or the goofy grin thing you do?" Jack teased, leaning back casually on the sofa.

He averted his eyes to objects around the room; May stole them back from a second, so he could see her sarcastic anger through a glower. It was obvious one of their usual teasing banters was about to arise. Jack sat up, preparing himself for their contest of words.

"I do _not_ grin goofily." She pouted.

"Er…Yes you do." He admitted chuckling with amusement, an incredibly handsome look of mischief on his face that melted away her troubles. She kicked him with her foot lazily. Jack jumped in shock when her foot hit him.

"Well you react oddly to things." She retorted.

Narrowing his eyes, Jack threw a heavy book at her, which didn't cease her amusement. Pointing at the book in her lap, he raised a brow.

"And you can't catch." Jack blinked one eye shut for a second, grinning.

Picking up the heavy book in her lap, May brushed a strand of wavering brown hair off her sapphire eyes before continuing.

"That was a bad throw." She stuck her tongue out childishly throwing the book back at him.

It hit his head hard causing her to laugh. Rubbing his head, Jack felt the contents of his brain stir for a few seconds at the impact of the hit. His teal eyes studied the bookshelf of endless books opposite before they tuned themselves back to the frequency of May. He found he had to adjust his eyes, due to the fact she was far more stunning to look at than anything else in the room.

"That was a_ bad_ aim."

Pushing her legs up so she sat cross-legged childishly, May's sapphire eyes became ten years younger. Her womanly body crashed into an adolescent pose. She felt younger, she felt like a thirteen year old girl, bickering with a classmate over something ridiculously stupid. Each of them searched for better ways to outdo each other in the word contest.

"_Really_? I thought it was quite good." She said, beaming with satisfaction.

Jack gaped in fake horror and found within a minute he couldn't help but laugh along with the juvenile sounding May. When the hilarity faded, the two of them sat in the silence. Their eyes slid over to catch once more, but both prevented the gaze from succeeding. May lifted her eyes from the floor and back to Jack's attractive face. She observed the maturity concealed in the skin, how his face had become more defined. Shifting her eyes away quickly she swallowed-hard.

Jack Toll was certainly one of the godliest beings on earth; there was no question about it. He was absolutely gorgeous. Against her will, she found her eyes scanning over his face once more with acquired curiosity. Jack glanced up quickly watching her eyes suddenly alter away.

"_What_?" He asked with interest a grin on his face.

"N-Nothing." May said her eyes darting across the room to find something else to look at.

The lights were dull. The machinery gave her a headache for she would begin to think about how it worked. The books were worn. The ceiling was bright. The floor was incredibly boring. The table was bland. But in the windowsill was a picture she'd never laid eyes on before. Two boys were smiling at the camera, both looked similar. One had magenta hair; the other had rich maroon hair. The maroon-haired boy was shorter, with freckles. May looked over at Jack Toll and spoke.

"I've never seen that picture before Jack. You and a friend?" She asked about to get up to view it.

Holding his hand out, Jack pushed her down to the sofa quickly. He got up and pushed the picture down, so you could not see the image.

"Long story." He muttered.

Oblivious to his mood change, the brunette spoke.

"Well I've got a while." She said smiling caringly.

Frowning he sat back down and swallowed-hard, his teal eyes looking teary. Jack bit his lips and frowned suddenly, looking incredibly sullen. May noticed and reached a hand out to him. He shook his head quickly, turning away. Then he coughed in the silence.

"It's getting quite late May you should get going-"

When their eyes caught the gaze was forebodingly rewarding, sparks weaving between particles.

"-Yes." May whispered eagerly. It wasn't that she was eager to leave; it was the fact that the atmosphere between them had greatly confused her. Yet alone, a dark memory had been revived within him. Turning her face to his, her sorrowful eyes met his. Silence seemed to speak louder than any words they could form.

"I…I have a long journey." She jolted her eyes away to certify she didn't lose herself in his mesmerising aura. Catching the covered picture frame, she sighed.

"I'm sorry to pry Jack."

He shook his head.

"My fault, I'm sorry May." He whispered, wishing he could overcome the swell in his throat- he failed.

May stood up to leave simultaneously with Jack. The two of them brushed into each other clumsily, causing them to laugh for a split second. The laughter was strained and awkward. It was obvious neither of them were in the mood for laughing. Inching past the male, she grabbed her jacket from the sofa and slid the navy coat over her shoulders. Jack frowned softly, walking down the gravelled pathway with her toward the car. The harbour was lit up beautifully, three small boats parked up on the small segment of beach belonging to Jack. The silver moon exuded lurid wisps of light down onto the ground. May scrutinized the sky full of stars. And when her eyes met the sparkling ocean, she was breathless.

"This is amazing." She confessed in awe of the scenery. To the left of her, lay large mountains in the distance, the cliffs of land ascending upwards as Jack lived on quite low ground.

"You should come round more in the evening." May spared him a glance. She knew what he was saying, but there was no way really to word it without it sounding suggestive. Jack slapped himself mentally realising how that had sounded- he quickly corrected himself.

"I mean it's nice in the evening here." He added, pulling a face at the water and ripping his face off with his fingers whilst the brunette stood motionless by the beach. He pushed his hands behind his back when she turned round and unlocked her car.

"Look after yourself and _please_ don't go looking for trouble." She admitted flinging her arms around her friend for a comforting hug. Returning the embrace, Jack nodded and laughed softly. Looking for trouble- that was something he was rather good at.

'_I don't think I'll need to go looking for trouble. I think it'll be finding us soon.' _He thought to himself deciding not the share this with the brunette. He didn't want to scare her, or worry her.

"I'm off work Sunday." He replied delicately.

Opening the car door May nodded happily and turned on the ignition.

"Ok, why don't you come down Sunday? Brendon will be there, and I think Max misses you." She suggested.

Jack didn't answer. May had worded it as a question but he knew it wasn't a question, it was demand. Nodding he watched her drive off, and thrust his hands into his pockets. As he watched the car tail away into the distance he whispered two words fearfully.

"Be safe."

Then, he turned his head away to the sparkling waters. A solemn melody escaped his lips in the form of a tuneless whistle. He sighed and ruffled a hand though his hair. The ocean undulated eloquently, the waves metrically hitting the sandy beach, rocking the docked boats lightly. Dr. Toll sat on the wooden stump by the shore, dissecting the horizon of the ocean, as if he expected to see the Island.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

The phone on his desk rang loudly. It grew silent when eventually; the important figure in the chair picked up the black phone and placed it to his ear. His eyes vexed vividly at the words of his secretary. Licking his dry lips, he nodded deliberately, gazing at his ageing reflection with displeasure in the mirror.

"Yes, let Mr.V in."

He adjusted his tie tensely, loosening the collar around his neck as if he was afraid it would suddenly strangle him. It had been a quiet year for him. There were no major cover-up jobs or any threats to the public at all- until now. Something had happened. He had no idea what it was exactly, but a member of the M.R.E.A.B (Ministry of rectifying events and analysing bizarres) did. A good omen never came to the President when a member of any ministry of such contents came in contact. It meant one thing; danger.

A young adolescent entered the room far too young to be the guest expected. His appearance was contrasting, a smooth oval face smothered in soil. His clothes were scruff y, giving the impression he had definitely been doing some frantic running; though that was already evident from his heavy breathing. His manifestation was fugitive, enough to unnerve the President. When the boy slid the door shut inaudibly, the President realised he had snuck in. Standing up, the male lifted the phone, ready to call security. Holding his hands up desperately, the young adolescent ran towards the desk frenetically.

"Before you do anything you _must_ hear me out. Lives depend on it."

The brave adolescent threw a document folder onto the desk. Pausing, the President swallowed-hard, dropping the phone in horror.

"How the_ hell_ did you get in here?"

The young adolescent spoke quickly, bravery burnishing through his resolute eyes. The President could not reserve his admiration for the determination brandished on the boy's soul.

"That doesn't matter sir. Something's happening and I have come to tell you. AMBER are-"

"-_AMBER_?" The president choked fearfully, now alerted.

The phone rang, and the young adolescent shook his head in despair. He ruffled a hand through his tousled hair nervously. His time was up. He knew he had a short amount of time to talk, but this was ridiculous. Panting, he dived toward the door, knowing his cue to leave had come. The President stretched a hand out desperately.

"No wait- what about AMBER?" He pleaded eyes twinkling with horror.

The boy shook his head frantically and felt his shoulders tense.

"I'm not meant to be here sir, my time is up." He whispered.

"I will ensure no harm comes to you- tell me." The President spoke truthfully, waiting for the words to dislodge from the adolescent's throat.

"There'sgoingtobeadisaster, thetreasuresareinperil. Someoneisgoingtokill-" the young adolescent spoke so fast the President could not register his words. He selectively caught certain words: treasures, disaster, kill.

Opening the door, the boy gasped for breath, hearing footsteps drawing nearer. Turning his head urgently toward the President, his teal eyes shone brightly.

"Your phone's ringing Sir-"

"-Well can I at least have your name boy-?"

The figure took a deep breath and brushed a strand of maroon hair off his eyes. He spoke over the phone, the footsteps perilously close. He grinned and saluted rather ironically.

"-Jesse Toll at your service. It was a pleasure."

And with that, the boy was gone. He threw himself out of the door, running down the corridor as quick as possible. Sitting down slowly, the President was smothered with curiosity, with fear. AMBER- that name brought trouble, momentous trouble –colossal trouble. The terrorist group, the antagonistic group, what were they planning now?

With a strained confident manner, the President gazed down at the pictures. Charred skin, bones crushed, body unrecognisable. Insides twisted, pools of blood, swells of oozing infection. Wounded limbs, shredded face, missing organs. Frantically he pushed the photos away, trying not to puke at the repulsive images flashing through his mind. The President slid them under his paperwork quickly, not wanting to see the sight of the bodies.

The door swung open; this time the real Mr.V did indeed enter the room. A well-dressed man entered the room, his eyes hidden under the mop of hair. He walked confidently into the room and took the seat opposite the president; a tanned man sat on the other side of him fearfully, holding a folder in his hands. Two large security guards spoke into an earpiece before leaving the room, and standing outside. Mr. V didn't lift his eyes to meet the President's gaze; instead, he extended a hand out sombrely and shook it. The tanned male timidly did the same. Then, Mr. V sighed and began to speak before the President could question the situation.

"I have come today to talk to you about a grave situation."

Leaning back on his black chair, the President lifted chunky glasses to his face and gestured with a hand for the man to continue though his thoughts were still rested on AMBER. The tanned man placed the folder on the desk opening it cautiously.

"Within the past two days, aside from anomalous tectonic activity and fierce storms, there have been six killings." Mr. V said slowly.

The President drew his eyebrows together, narrowing his eyes with a small tinge of relief. He had expected something horrific like a meteor or the kind of things you saw on the films.

"You mean six _murders_?" He asked lightly, about to pick up the phone and call in the head officer to listen. Mr. V pushed the phone out of the President's hand and slammed it down.

"No. I mean six killings."

There was a silence. The President leant forward, his hands clasped together on the desk, trembling.

"Just what are you suggesting?" A serious tone flushed through his voice.

"These six people were all given a task by the ministry of defence to destroy something. When they died, no distress signal given- nothing. But they were equipped from the ministry of defence with all the equipment they would need to complete their task." Mr.V explained.

"What were they to destroy?" The President asked vigilantly, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"The Amber Hollow."

The President rolled his eyes, and shook his head in amusement.

"What that stupid myth that Jack Toll is searching for?" He chuckled.

Mr.V didn't laugh. He sat motionless in his seat and appeared to be apprehensive.

"The Amber Hollow is the hiding place of AMBER's secret weapon sir." The tanned man said quickly, shuddering at the glower he received from his master for speaking.

The President choked on the dry air around him, tapping his fingers on the desk frantically. The young boy who had recently appeared was right. There was indeed something going on with the terrorist group. He indicated that Mr.V should continue his explanation.

"We have no idea what the weapon is sir, but we know it's strong. We know it's enough to threaten society. They have asked for a compromise. In exchange for several people…they will terminate the weapon."

The President skewed his lips. A negotiation with AMBER was not commendable. It was more like appeasement, and appeasement had failed time and time again. It never stopped them. Why would AMBER terminate in exchange for people? Why did they want the people? What were they planning to do? He remembered the boy who had recently entered the room. The pictures he had shown him. The words he had picked out from Jesse's frantic speech hit him in the face, pelting against his brain; kill. Shaking his head, the President swallowed-hard and spoke.

"And who are these people?" He asked reservedly, not wanting to give the impression he was agreeing to negotiate.

"Dr. Jack Toll, May Maple, Professor Roland, Mr. Andrews."

The tanned man took four photographs from the folder at his feet and placed them on the desk. The President gazed at the four beautiful faces, all innocent-looking and harmless members of the public. Three of the faces were familiar, the female's rang surname sparked a connection in his mind, but he could not grasp it. Then his morals came to him, it didn't matter _who_ these people were. He wasn't going to put lives at risk. Not only would the public turn against the government for being so inhumane, he wouldn't bring himself down to such levels.

"I refuse to risk lives. Perhaps they will consider a different negotiation." He said sternly, pushing the photographs away with disinterest.

Mr.V hid his displeasure, twisting his fingers awkwardly between each other with force under the desk. Gritting his teeth, he smiled falsely with a polite manner and spoke as if he had something sour in his throat.

"If you don't appease them sir, then you have sealed your own fate. Do you want people to turn against you? Do you want to cause an unjust revolution?"

Shaking his head quickly at the terrifying thought, he waited for the man to continue.

"Then this is the only option you have."

The tanned man put the photographs away, his eyes catching a sheet of paper lying underneath the paperwork on the desk. He was eager to reach for it, but felt rude to do so.

"I do not believe there is only one solution Mr.V. It might be the_ easiest_, but that does not mean it is the best solution," the President spoke wisely, ruffling a hand through his neat brown hair.

Hiding his snarl, Mr.V nodded and sighed. The President stood up; holding a hand up to gesture their meeting was not coming to a closure.

"I will call for Doctor Jack Toll and his knowledge on the Amber Hollow and with his help set up a danger zone around the perimeter. Then, I will get the military forces to surround it. We'll go from there; I expect to have contact with M.R.E.A.B after at least a day." He said ushering them toward the door gradually.

Standing up, the tanned man caught eyes with Mr.V and nodded solemnly. Before the President could even react, he slammed his hands over his mouth, holding him in an iron grip. Eyes-widening, the President squirmed in the man's hold for release, yelling against the hand. But his yell was absorbed by the forceful grip. Mr.V mockingly waved at the President before doing one of the most deceitful deeds committed. The tanned man clamped his eyes shut in repulsion, feeling the President twitch in his grasp.

The President's limp body stumbled clumsily to the floor, arm stretched out as blood soaked the white shirt. Crouching beside the corpse, Mr. V tilted the head toward him, in order to study every facial detail with caution. The emaciated cheekbones pointing out symmetrically on each side of the man's face, the neat brown hair; every small detail observed. His eyes were sparkling vindictively. It was the kind of sparkle you would never want to see in a person's eyes, for it suggested treacherous deeds and inhuman concepts.

"We killed the President." The tanned man whispered in horror, wishing he could right his wrongdoing.

"We killed t-"

"-oh _shut-up_." Mr.V hissed pointing towards the door where less than a few yards away stood the highest form of security.

He hadn't come this far to get caught due to a naïve assistant. Lifting the body by the arms, Mr.V beckoned the tanned man over quickly and spoke irately. Grabbing the legs, the tanned man obediently followed the malicious figure. Mr.V opened the cupboard door beside the President's desk and gently lay the body in with as little noise as possible. Then he locked the door with the bronze key on the desk and threw the key out the window with force. A sly smirk plastered over his face when the key disappeared.

"Right." He began, tensing his muscles.

"Are you sure this will work sir-"

"-_Don't _question what you haven't seen." Mr. V snapped petulantly, sitting on the President's chair.

He swivelled ninety degrees to the mirror and stared into it, the glass began to liquidise, almost melt, but it remained stationary. The tanned man turned his head away, not wanting to see the ghastly transformation. He had not yet been a witness to this and he didn't want to be. Instead he watched the shadow of Mr.V. It coiled and twisted into a new shape. Tendons stretched, bones cracking, jaw tightening. The sounds of an unnatural process unnerved him. When Mr.V averted his eyes from the mirror, he swivelled to sit centre at the desk and grinned.

"How do I look Peter?"

Hesitantly, the tanned man –Peter- gazed up at an identical replica of the President. Almost falling to the ground in shock, he clutched the chair beside him, trembling. Words didn't manage to leave his mouth. Peter stood there and nodded slowly, not really answering the posed question. Amused, the new Mr.V adjusted his tie and spoke.

"_Now-_ we begin."

* * *

Next time:

Lights out. There was a loud bang. Ceiling collapses.

Lifting his eyes, the emerald haired male gaped.

"What's going on?"

----

"Something strange is happening..." Jack whispered over the phone, averting his eyes from the stormy seas outside.

He was afraid, afraid of seeing the Island.

----

"Roland what's going on?" Jack pried, slamming a fist against the wall.

"I. don't. know." The man replied in a calm voice, though it was clear he was panicking on the other side of the phone.

----

"Jack I'm stuck I-"

Jack ran for the phone, tearing it from Frankie's hands.

"May? May where are you?"

"-I'm stuck, water's coming in and I can't get out."

----

"Drew you bastard. I know you don't care about us anymore, but I need your help. May needs us, and we need you."

**OOOH :O**

**so WHO is this Jesse Toll? What is the connection? Who is Mr.V? can any of you guess yet? XD**

**And WHAT is going to happen next?!**

**Thanks for reading, feedback much appreciated :D**

**until next time,**

**Izzy**


	4. Panic at the Stadium

You are REALLY going to hate Drew in this chapter- but nonetheless hopefully it'll make you laugh x)

Let me appologise for my lack of writing o_o I've been kind of busy and not inspred. BUT finally the new installment of Amber Eyes is here :)

It's quite short- but I wanted a short chapter to raise the tension, so hopefully it will satisfy.

Disclaimer: I am just a fan, none of this belongs to me -hides away in the corner crying- xD

E n j o y .

* * *

**Previously**:

"Before you do anything you _must_ hear me out. Lives depend on it."

The brave adolescent threw a document folder onto the desk. Pausing, the President swallowed-hard, dropping the phone in horror.

"How the_ hell_ did you get in here?"

-----

"I've never seen that picture before Jack. You and a friend?" She asked about to get up to view it.

Holding his hand out, Jack pushed her down to the sofa quickly. He got up and pushed the picture down, so you could not see the image.

"Long story." He muttered.

-----

Hesitantly, the tanned man –Peter- gazed up at an identical replica of the President. Almost falling to the ground in shock, he clutched the chair beside him, trembling. Words didn't manage to leave his mouth. Peter stood there and nodded slowly, not really answering the posed question. Amused, the new Mr.V adjusted his tie and spoke.

"_Now-_ we begin."

-----

"-Well can I at least have your name boy-?"

The figure took a deep breath and brushed a strand of maroon hair off his eyes. He spoke over the phone, the footsteps perilously close. He grinned and saluted rather ironically.

"-Jesse Toll at your service. It was a pleasure."

* * *

xXxXx A M B E R - E Y E S xXxXx

Sequel to Love in the Strangest Places

**AnalystProductions 2009**

_Let the adventure begin..._

**C4- Panic at the Stadium**

"Unexplainable tectonic activity has baffled scientists all across the world. Even more so, the rising storm above the Demher region is growing out of control. Scientists believe this anomaly to be a new form of a super cell. Specialists are advising everybody to stay indoors-"

The pretty woman with a microphone in her hands was dismissed from the screen in the push of a button. She didn't seem to mind, not that she had any say in the situation anyway. Trapped in the reflection of the black 40 inch TV screen, a teenager of about 17 years is combing the back of his hair, stirring over the words. He shakes his head nonchalantly, tossing the remote control back onto the arm of the sofa. Bringing a hand to his thin face, he laughs through exhaustion exploited in the lines under his eyes. He looks a little ill, perhaps even a little drunk. The evidence for this is the beer bottle he places on the floor, beside five empty ones.

"What a load of _bullshit_. Just because it pisses it down with rain for one day doesn't mean it's the end of the fucking world."

The semi-drunk teenager is oblivious to the gasp that sounds from the younger boys lips, sitting on the sofa beside him. The young one brings his legs to his chin, curling up against the warmth of a solitary cushion. He seems to have taken the broadcast a little more seriously, despite his youth. He stares outside the window. He flinches at the forked lightening that climbs down towards the ground, like webbed fingers of a demon lurking towards prey. The hunt is over, and the lightening gives a roar of victory. The younger boy is staring with enough fear that one would think it was the end of the world. Noticing the younger boy's pallid skin and neutral expression, the nonchalant one ruffled a hand freely through the tangled brown hair.

"Easy there," his voice softens, lifting the younger one into his lap.

"We're safe."

He could not have been _more _wrong. At that precise moment fate decides to shuffle the deck. It laughs at the nonchalant one. It feels sympathy for the younger one, but no emotions for the selfish teenager who for the first time is showing compassion towards his cousin that he hates with a passion. The dice falls, and the lightening is on the prowl again. Burying his face into the teenager's chest, the younger boy whimpers, praying that they are not going to be the spotlight of this terrible weather. The nonchalant one hauls the younger one up into his arms, stumbling to his feet. His balance is a little shaky, but he manages to make it six paces out the door before having to cling onto the side of a cupboard.

It is then he realises that the volume of alcohol he has consumed is not what is effecting his balance. It is in fact the ground beneath them. An unusual sound echoes from outside. The younger one asks what it is. The nonchalant teenager swallows hard. He strokes the younger boy's forehead before making his way up the stairs. He tells the younger one after a moment of silence that is it just the thunder. However, it is clear that it was something else. The word of his older cousin soothes the younger one. The teenager reluctantly lies his younger cousin on the bed, pulling the covers over him. He picks up a story book with a shaky hand, attempting to read the opening. His voice is unstable, and it only frightens the younger one.

A loud crash sounds from the room next door. That strange sound resumes.

"What the bloody hell was that?" The teenager asks jolting up to his feet suddenly.

The younger child screams out in fear. Rain splatters across the floor. The teenager looks up, the roof has been torn off, but not by the storm. The thunder masks over the cry of an abstract creature. Running towards the younger one, the nonchalant one gazes up into the ominous sky, rain smacking his face intensely. By the time he can lift the younger one back into his arms, the rain has stopped falling on his head. He narrows his eyes, wondering what is sheltering them from the storm. The younger one screams in fear- it is hardly a guardian angel. Gazing up, the teenager stumbles to the floor in shock.

"Holy crap." He cries out, reaching for something to defend with.

Then it happens quickly. The demon stretches its wings, the cries of the two children are covered by the strident thunder. The rain washes the blood from the floorboards, dismissing evidence. Then the demon is gone. The roof is back. The storm continues. The lightening lights up the sky, and as it does, you can see a creature in the distance, two bodies clasped in its talon. By the time you blink- it's gone.

Out of sight.

**O0o0o0o Many miles away at the same time o0o0o0o**

"I asked you, where the _hell_ is Charlie?" He said angrily over the music, catching the eyes of the technical manager.

Swallowing-hard, the technical manager shrugged fearfully.

"We don't know. The last time someone was able to get hold of him, he was babysitting his younger cousin in Cerise City."

"What good is _that _when I need him here?"

Brushing the technical manager away with a hand, the livid man tried to contain his anger. They were one person down, and this was a grand event. Slacking was just not good enough. The music belted through his eyes. He watched the stadium stage. No matter how tolerant he tried to be, it was just not in his nature to give people a millions chances. He stood there stubbornly, cappuccino almost bursting its banks when he tightened his grip around it. He failed to understand what exactly was going on here. How could the world's best contest winners of all the regions be failing miserably at one simply routine. He could do it with his eyes _closed, _they were more than capable of doing it, with their eyes open of course. Nobody was as good as he was.

Despite their talents, the whole thing still looked a mess. The lightening was perfect, the sound was perfect, the act was pathetic. He had been through the choreography four times now. He considered that to be more than enough. Holding his hand up with authority to the sound man rudely, he gestured it was time to yet again stop the music. The music faded suddenly. The seven figures on the stage gazed up at the man who walked down the stadium steps angrily. His voice bellowed through out the stadium.

"Guys _what _the bloody hell is going on? You're on in less than twelve hours. I _can't _have you looking like crap- I've put my arse on the line for you."

His emerald eyes were fierce, the seven figures winced at the scorning. The man rubbed his temple in frustration. Then swallowing-hard, he stormed up onto the stage, snapping his fingers. Rolling his eyes, the sound man played the music. The flower like creature by his feet groaned, beginning to move flawlessly to each beat with its master. After five seconds, the emerald eyed man in charge held a hand up to the sound man. The music stopped abruptly. Taking a step toward the seven figures, he frowned.

"That forward synchronised pivot you all did was _messy. _You are champions, you should be getting this first time round."

"But Drew, there's something stirring up our Poke'mon." One of the seven spoke out bravely, as soon as she did, she wished she hadn't. As handsome as he was, he had a nasty temper.

Darting towards the blonde who spoke, Drew sighed in distress. The blonde brushed at their proximity, admiring his complexion. He slowly crouched down to study her trembling Pichu. After half a second, he leapt up apathetically, not even casting a second glance over.

"It's _fine _let's try again." He snapped walking down the stage steps.

The blonde glanced down at her shaking Pichu and narrowed her eyes.

"But-"

Spinning round on his heel, Drew pointed a finger sharply at her. In response, she shut her mouth.

"-Again."

The sound man glanced over at Drew nervously. Drew clapped his hands twice to indicate they should press on. Obediently, the sound man began to play the music, the storm outside was deafened by the intense beat. Standing in front of the stage, Drew watched the seven figures with a critical eye. His eyes pinpointed the centre boy.

"No _no_ for god's sake TP lift that arm." He called, slapping a hand to the bridge of his nose.

Then something odd happened. The Poke'mon stopped moving. They became motionless, exchanging looks of fear. The seven co-ordinators gazed down at their Poke'mon in worry. Drew opened his eyes slowly and frowned- what _now?_

"Erm- excuse me? I didn't say _stop._" He chanted arrogantly.

The seven Poke'mon started to fret, growing restless. Quickly the co-ordinators withdrew their Poke'mon, gazing upwards at the shaking ceiling. A second later, the stadium trembled and the music cut off violently. Running down the steps, Drew groaned- this was just bloody _brilliant_. Poke'mon going crazy, music dead.

"What's going on?" He asked indolently.

The sound man gazed at the equipment in confusion.

"….it just _went." _

Before Drew could say anything, the stadium lights went out, leaving them in darkness. A few of the technical backstage workers screamed, the seven co-ordinators were muffling to each other, one of them drew out a torch.

"Oh Jesus Christ." Drew said angrily, gazing around the darkness.

He snatched the torch selfishly from the co-ordinator, insensitively shining it into the eyes of the sound man.

"Call Barry down here, we need to sort this out." He yelled angrily.

Then he held a hand to his emerald hair. Handing the torch back to the co-ordinator, Drew grabbed one of the new torches that had been hauled out from under the stage. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, sirens could be heard from outside, and the emergency 'evacuate' signal burst into life through out the building.

"For fuck's sake." He muttered in distress.

The beating wings of a helicopter could be heard outside. As they progressed outside, they were greeted by a mob of people dressed in black, and military personnel with guns. The helicopter swooped lower, its bright light shining on Drew.

"Get into the vehicle calmly and quickly, calmly and quickly." The voice said.

Obediently the seven co-ordinators did as they were told. Drew was the last one standing outside, the rain pummelling him.

"Sir get into the van for your own safety." The irritable nasal voice said.

Gritting his teeth, Drew hesitantly entered the van. Sir- did they even _know _who he was? Before he had time to buckle his seatbelt, it drove rapidly down the road. Form the back window, there was another helicopter in sight. The sound of guns firing exploded through the night sky. Like some kind of Godzilla impersonation, the spotlight of the helicopter framed a strange silhouette on the top of the stadium. Drew rolled his eyes. There was a loud roar. He averted his eyes away, the others in the van did the opposite, eyes drawn to the sight. There were many things running through his mind. None of them were what any of the other panicking people around were thinking. He held a hand to his forehead.

His show was cancelled, that was for sure.

**o0o0o0o Many miles away the next day o0o0o0o**

"There have been two hundred and four disappearances in the last twenty four hours in Demher. Police officers are baffled by the number of missing people, unable to come up with a logical explanation for the incidences. In other stories the annual contest show has been postponed due to the sudden freak weather surrounding the globe. We head over to a live broadcast from Demher Stadium."

The rain drowned out the reporter's words as his handsome face appeared on the screen. His words were hard to make out, the thunder crackling above his head boomed over the microphone he held closely to his lips. The waterproof jacket he wore seemed to have no impact on his dryness, for he looked drenched. The camera became shaky and a look of horror plastered over the reporter's face. A towering shadow loomed over the reporter's head, creating a darkness. The thunder withdrew, a scream echoed around the screen. Then the camera fell to the floor, a trail of blood running past the screen before it faded out into fuzz. The handsome man narrowed his eyes. He grabbed the remote on the side, rewinding it back a little.

Jack had not slept since the strange earthquake- mainly because when he had called Frankie- who was still blowing him off- she said that it was not caused by tectonic activity. He had stood in the exact same place for many hours, watching the news broadcast, then rewinding it back to the beginning. It had almost become a routine, and now his eyes could spot any differences in every still of the frames. His eyes widened as he jumped backwards in shock. Quickly, he pressed pause. Behind the reporter in the top right-hand corner, was a tail. It was no ordinary tail, plastered with spikes and lethal daggers. It looked almost…_primitive_.

Reaching for the phone, Jack dialled the number frantically with shaking hands. The voice on the other line sounded frustrated and oblivious.

"Toll- what is it now?" He grumbled, running his hands down his face.

"Sometimes I forget _why _you're a renowned professor- Roland have you _seen _what's been going on?!" Jack replied passionately, every inch of his voice devoted to this new mystery.

The enthusiasm screaming through Jack's voice told Roland he was not going to let this drop. It also told him that Jack was about to get his hands dirty, because no doubt he was going to nose around the whole situation. Rolling his eyes, Roland frowned. Jack's voice sounded loudly, breaking the silence.

"Two hundred and four people have disappeared in the last twenty four hours in Demher- doesn't that strike you as a little _odd_?"

"People go missing all the time." Roland's response was muffled as if he was barely listening.

Grinding his teeth, Jack slammed a palm down onto the table. This was the thing about Roland. Sometimes he believed everything you said, but then unexpectedly he would just be cynical and doubt it. A prime example of this was the incident on the Island nineteen long months ago. Jack refused to mention it, for he didn't want to get into a fight with Roland. The last thing he needed was another one of the four treasures to turn their backs away.

"OK let me spell it out for you Roland. The _Island _reappears, then we start finding out these weird fictional truths- weird moments in time where things happen that never _did _happen- like an alternate reality merging with ours. Bon Voyage appears out of the blue and we _sail right through it_- like we don't even exist anymore, like we're memories, shadows of the past. Then these weird weather events, the disappearances and _now _the bloody super Poke'mon have returned."

Roland leapt out of bed, startled by the last words.

"That. Can. Not. Be. Jack we _destroyed _them. We saved the Island, we stopped it." He whispered, voice trembling.

"What if…what if it wasn't ours to save?" Jack replied hesitantly.

Now it sounded like Jack was just talking out of his fucking arse. That made no sense. Since when did it MATTER who saved the Island? Gruffly, Roland slapped a hand to his cheek, rolling his eyes. Jasmine stirred a from the bed. He gently stroked her hair before walking out of the room where he could raise his voice a little higher than a whisper.

"Jack you're making no sense." Roland groaned, ruffling his hair.

Jack sighed, and all the switches in his brain suddenly connected. His teal eyes became fearful. He spoke darkly, with a hint of anxiety which worried Roland. The young Doctor was never one to show any signs of worry. This had to be something.

"No. May told me all about the conversation she and Drew had after the Island incidents. She told me about the Amber Eyes, the painting, Kyorgre- and…" Jack cut himself off, unable to finish. There was a few minutes silence. Then Roland took the plunge.

"And what?"

"Harry Voyager."

* * *

Next time:

"Jesse?!" Frankie screamed in horror.

"-Can I trust you with the biggest secret on earth?" The young boy whispered.

------

"May I'm so sorry I can't come over tomorrow to see you. I'm on the breakthrough of something and it involves you. In fact, it involves all of us, the four treasures. So without sounding completely unreasonable, for your own safety, it's best if you come down to my lab so we can all figure this out." Jack hesitantly hung up the phone, swallowing-hard.

------

"I have to go-"

"-Hunnie you only just got here!" Caroline protested.

Spinning around on her heel, May smiled gently. Caroline narrowed her eyes sceptically and then grinned.

"It's Jack isn't it?"

Flushing beyond control, May stormed out the room.

"Mum!"

------

A knock came from the front door.

"Hello? Frankie- it's Jack." The voice called.

Jesse and Frankie froze.

* * *

Hope you liked it ^_^

I'll try update as soon as I can :0

Izzy~


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